A World Cloaked In Shadow
by Lyxie
Summary: Zelink. It all begins in a tavern one day when Link hears of a strange appearance called the Masked Mystique. Before he can blink, he's dragged into a chaotic world for the battle of Hyrule in its final days. Full summary inside. FINIS!
1. Announcements and Preview: UPDATED 4 28

**Full Summary- **When Link hears about an apparition called the "Masked Mystique" the hero within him can't help but to be curious and look for an adventure. However, before he can blink, he's dragged into an evil realm unlike any he could ever comprehend before- and a battle for the final days of Hyrule. Zelink. Rated for horror, nudity, blah blah. Starts out as action adventure but turns into romance.****

****

****

**_A_****nnouncements-**

**4.28.04 Again- OH MY GOSH YOU GUYS, I ACTUALLY FINISHED IT! I had this writing spurt thing and was just like… "MUST…. WRITE…" and I finished. I'm still in shock that I actually completed the entire thing… and also very proud of myself, and incredibly sad. *sniffles* I'M SO SAD! Now, to explain to some of you, this story isn't fluffy because I'm in a disagreement with my boyfriend and have been put off of romance… or at least, experiencing it/writing it. However, I was sure to add in some sweet stuff for all of you fluff lovers. I AM, note, AM, taking challenge requests, GO ME, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I'll actually write it. So yeah. If you want to get in contact with me for any reason, feel free to email me! I like getting email! It makes me happy.**

**Anyway, in other news, I have another ficcie on the way…. Er, another two ficcies, really. One will be a peter-pan remake of LoZ OOT, and the other will probably be a modern-ish fic. Either that, or a pointlessly fluffy romance. *shrug***

**Let's see. I'm probably going to publish the rest of the story TONIGHT, as soon as my reader gets done and tells me whether the ending needs work or not. I was kind of confused while writing it, so I wanted to be sure that it wasn't all ambiguous and whatnot. And… yeah.**

**YAY! Please review! I'll respond to all the reviews in around a week or so.**

**4.28.04- **Greetings, all. In my opinion, you all should be thanking me on bended knee- you know, since yesterday was my birthday and all, and yet I still have found time to bring you my writing. Backslash arrogance. No really, though. I got the most GODLY stereo system for my sweet sixteenth… it roxxors my soxxors. Oh, and I got an alarm clock with a rooster on it, too. It crows. So yeah. Uh, let's see. I am pleased to bring you chapter four of the ever-growing tale (I'm struggling through the ending scenes as it is) and… this is probably my gloomiest chapter yet, I think. Or next to gloomiest. Definitely a major moving chapter, though, and some mad fun at that. ALSO, it's the introduction of one of my favorite characters, Toyl, who isn't anywhere near as obnoxious as Navi, and doesn't dominate quite so much of our poor hero.ALSO, the fire temple scenes were possibly some of my favorite scenes to write, if not my absolute favorite. I had quite a large bit of fun with those. And… yeah. Please read and review! I will love you forever if you do!****

**4.24.04- **Hey everybody. Rejoice- it's time for the much-awaited (or not) chapter three! Truth be told, I've been slightly sad since I've been obsessive-compulsively checking my mailbox, but alas, no reviews. Pleeeease, people, review! Reviews make me write faster! Anyway, I completed the much-hated chapter four, and am now on chapter five, in which… wait, I can't say. MUST NOT SPOIL! But anyway, good news for all you readers, I have ALMOST completed the story. I think. I don't want this to be too long, or else I get in ill spirits and no words come out. However, once I DO finish, I promise you all that I will publish all the remaining chapters simultaneously. So, enjoy! I proudly present to you chapter three.

**4.20.04-** I'm so depressed that I can't even write right now. Bleargh! Anyway, I've already got chapter four about three-fourths finished, but I'm not going to publish it just yet. It's a nice, angsty chapter, courtesy of my disagreements with my boyfriend at the moment. But that's not what you're reading. You're reading chapter TWO! Yay! One of my favorite chapters, I must say, especially because of the nice fluffy scene incorporated in that was the preview for the story. Haa. Enjoy the story, everybody!

-Many thanks to my 9 reviewers so far! You guys are the best! I'll be replying to reviews at the end of the story in order of review received, so if you don't want to scroll down a page looking for your name, give the muse a kick and get me some inspiration!

**4.17.04-** For those of you who are confused, please note that this is a ZELINK romance. The person behind the mask is yet to be revealed. However, Sheik is Zelda. Everything will all be explained in a few chapters, I promise you. For you all to note- this fic is post OOT and MM, not AU. I'm working my way through chapter four or so, which is giving me no end of hell, however, no worries. This announcement is almost journalistic because I have no intention of publishing anything tonight- I just wanted to help clear up some confusion I received in reviews.

(Somebody mentioned that the plot was confusing. Basically, what is going on is that Link discovers a strange person in a mask, tries to catch them, fails, winds up spending the night at the house of a "nice sheikiah lady" and her son, but when he wakes they're gone. He then learns that the princess Zelda and her attendant also vanished during the night, but makes no connection between the two. He goes to see Saria about the princess because something he hears confuses him, and Saria only makes him even more confused. Then he runs into Sheik by sheer circumstance which multiplies the problem, and goes to the temple of time to find some answers. Did that help clear anything up for chapter one?)

**4.16.04-** Well, I've finally decided to publish this, despite the fact that I'm not even finished writing the whole thing. But hey, pressure is half the fun, right? Besides, I've hit a sticky spot about halfway through the third chapter and need some reviews to help smash my brain into gear.

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

**Preview**

            "Who are you?" Link asked the cloaked figure. "Show yourself." He pressed the sword blade into the figure's throat, though they did not recoil. Chin held high, the figure moved two bound hands up to its masked face. Link held in his breath as fingers slid underneath the mud-stained plate. What would he see? A horrible disfigurement? A monster?

            What Link saw when the figure peeled away the mask was so totally unexpected that it sent him gasping for air. The loveliest woman he had ever seen peered defiantly back at him from under the hood, her violently blue eyes sparkling with pride. Her cheeks were high and beautifully pink, her lips rose colored and plush. A strand of curling blonde hair fell into her eyes from under her hood, but she didn't seem to notice. Her eyes were fixated steadily on him.

            "Who are you?" he asked in a whisper. "What is your name?" She did not speak, but Link saw a flicker of doubt behind her stubborn eyes. "Why won't you speak?" he asked in a whisper, reaching up to touch her face. In a whirl, the girl spun around and leapt into the branches of a tree high above.

            "Wait!" called Link after her. "Come back here!" but she had vanished through the branches of the trees. Link looked down and noticed that she had dropped her mask. He picked it up, brushing the dirt and mud off of the white porcelain, and stroked the face of it with his finger. With a sigh, Link slumped onto a tree stump, burying his face in his leather-gauntleted hands. He yanked at a strand of blonde hair that fell into his blue eyes, then tucked it back into the green cap that permanently adorned his head. 

            "What does it mean?" he asked himself, sighing and dragging at his face with his hands, looking at the mask he'd placed in his lap. "What does it mean?" He stood, brushing off his white breeches, and grabbed the mask, stashing it within his green tunic. He whistled through his teeth to Epona, who came trotting up to him seemingly from out of nowhere. He hauled himself up into the saddle and rode off into the forest with a "yah!" It was not long before he reached his small, modest cabin. He let Epona loose and stooped at the small pond outside his home to splash his face, still shaking his head at the odd events that had just occurred. Who was that girl? Why had she taken his journal? He entered his cabin and sat on his bed, reclining against his pillow. He looked at his table, and noticed that his paper and ink were out. Confused, he stood and made his way to the table, meaning to clean up the mess. What he saw caused him to stop dead in his tracks.  A letter sat neatly in the middle of the table, a roll of parchment and a bottle of ink with a brush sitting nearby. The elegant letters on the parchment were still wet, glistening in the fire that warmed the cold cabin. Shaking, Link bent before the letter.

            "I am the Mei, the seventh sage. Do not try to come into contact with me- you must stay away from me if you treasure your life. Someday, all that is foggy will be unveiled before your eyes, but for now, do not meddle in affairs that you are unconnected with." There was a smudge, as though the Mei had been meaning to write more, but had heard Link coming. The teenager whirled around, searching his cabin for any signs that anything was amiss. He noticed the window was open- that was how the Mei had made her quick escape without being detected by the young hero. Shaking his head in confusion, Link pulled the mask out from within his tunic, studying the mask that had covered the face of the beautiful warrior.

            "Mei…" he said, running his finger along the edge of the faceplate. He set it down on the table, determined. "I'm connected in this- you've taken something that belongs to me. We will meet again, shadow warrior. I vow to learn who it is you truly are, Mei," he said, "with the goddesses as my witnesses. Strike me down if I don't learn the mind behind the face you mask."

            As though this was the final straw in deciding Link's involvement with the war, he then set about to collecting his weapons from random corners of his cabin, making plans for his next great adventure. What he didn't see was the shuddering character sneaking away from his window, cloaked in black with only the tear and mud streaked face of a blonde beauty showing. Mei crawled through the woods until she could no longer see or smell the smoke rising from the chimney of Link's cabin, and collapsed against a tree, sobbing hysterically.

            "No, Link, don't," she cried. "You'll only get yourself killed…"


	2. Chapter One: The Masked Mystique

You've been gone so long all that you know  
  
has been shuffled aside as you bask in the glow  
  
of the beautiful strangers who whisper your name  
  
do they fill up the emptiness?  
  
Larger than life is your fiction  
  
In a universe made up of one  
  
You have been drifting for so long  
  
I know you don't want to come down  
  
Somewhere below you, there's people who love you  
  
And they're ready for you to come home  
  
Please come home  
  
You walk in a room and the world stops to stare  
  
Mesmerize all who are caught in the glare  
  
Of the spotlight that follows wherever you go  
  
Does it light up the emptiness?  
  
Larger than life is your fiction  
  
In a universe made up of one  
  
You have been drifting for so long  
  
I know you don't want to come down  
  
Somewhere below you, there's people who love you  
  
And they're ready for you to come home  
  
Please come home  
~Drifting, by Sarah McLachlan  
  
Chapter One: The Masked Mystique  
  
Link boredly rubbed his finger around the rim of his tankard, his chin resting in his left hand as he grasped the tankard firmly with his right and downed the rest of the rum.  
  
"Slow day, eh?" asked the bartender, polishing a shot glass.  
  
"The slowest," said Link, pushing his tankard back across the counter. The bartender sympathetically filled it up, the tavern nearly empty except for a group of what looked to be hags in a far corner, and the young hero sitting before him.  
  
"So, Link, what brings you here ta'day?" asked the bartender. "Or yesterday, or yesterday's yesterday..."  
  
"Nothing much for a hero to do lately," said Link dully. "Rescuing old ladies' cats from trees, exterminating the occasional tektite population here or there. Nothing much to do for one such as myself."  
  
"That's a shame," said the bartender. "Ever thought of going into profession as a bodyguard or policeman or something?"  
  
"No," said Link. "I work for nobody but the goddesses."  
  
"Aye," said the old bartender with a nod. "'s justified. O'course, you could write down a story 'o your travels. Ev'ry one knows 'bout you, boy. Woke up in the temple of time when you were ten, with th' doors to the sacred realm open 'n the master sword in yer hand, th' mark 'o th' Triforce on th' back 'o yer hand, with not a mem'ry except blabberin' 'bout how you had ta go 'n find 'er, an' none 'o us knew who 'er was but selfsame day you got th' finest horse we'd ever seen an' rode away with th' mast'r sword on ye back, an' then appeared seven years later a real man. You know, ev'ry one speculates 'bout just what happened to ye over th' seven years ye was gone. You could make a pretty rupee 'r two tellin' yer tales, I'm sure."  
  
"I don't want to tell my tales," said Link. "Nobody would believe them anyway. They're things that should not have been seen or heard of. I can't tell. You understand, don't you Eddgar?"  
  
"Aye, I do," said the bartender with a smile. "Now, boy, I've got summat fer ye that might give ye a bit 'o things to occupy yer time."  
  
"Oh?" asked Link, digging for his wallet. "What is this?"  
  
"Well, ye' see, lately, customers been bringin' in tales 'o a thing called "the masked mystique", a figure they say prowls about at night, cloaked in robes blacker 'n a starless sky, with a pure white mask ov'r th' face. Never talks to no one, never even seems to notice. Just prowls, like a ghost. 'Sept people wake in th' mornings, and some 'o their belongins 'r missin', see? I'm sure ye can find summat ter do with th' masked mystique."  
  
"Hm," said Link thoughtfully, scratching his ear. "I might just be able to work from there."  
  
"Also," said the bartender, "people've been spottin' monsters more 'n more since that masked mystique appeared."  
  
"Thanks, Eddgar," said Link, standing up. "I'll see what I can do about it."  
  
"Anytime, Hero," said Eddgar as Link dropped some shining rupees on the counter. The bartender shook his head and smiled as the teenager, and went about to cleaning the tankard that the forest boy had just been sipping from.  
  
Link shielded his eyes from the sun as he stepped out of the dim tavern into Hyrule castle town. Mulling over in his head what he had just learned from the bartender, Eddgar, he made his way towards the drawbridge, ignoring the stares he got from the village people. He crossed the drawbridge, nodding to the guards who stood there, and whistled to his teeth to Epona. The red-brown beauty came trotting up to him from where she had been grazing below a tree, nickering in pleasure at the sight of her master.  
  
"Hey girl," he said, rubbing his horse's neck and pulling himself up onto her back. "Feel like going to give the ranch a visit? Yeah, girl, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Epona whinnied and nodded her head up and down, and Link stroked her. "Yeah? We'll pay Malon a visit. You want that? Huh girl? She'll scrub you down real good." Epona whinnied again, prancing around. Link smiled at his horse, the only one in the world he really connected to.  
  
"Go for it, Epona," he said, smacking her side. "Run like the wind." Epona took off like a flash of lightning, Link not even needing to use the reins to guide his horse across Hyrule field. Horse and rider became one as the wind raced through two sets of pointed ears, one equine and the other elven, hearts thudding as they flew across the field like birds. Before long, they were trotting up the ramp to the ranch. Link slowed Epona with a "whoa, girl," as they entered the ranch, and Link slowed Epona as they neared the corral. Epona, in a sudden burst of mischief, stopped rather abruptly, causing Link to be thrown over her head and land on the ground in a heap.  
  
"What the... oww, you stupid horse," he grumbled."  
  
"Hey Link." A musical laughter sounded throughout the ranch. Link looked up, a grin spreading across his face. A lightly tanned redhead was running towards him, arms outstretched. Link swiftly jumped to his feet and caught her, whirling her around in the air once and then placing her on her feet.  
  
"Mal!" he exclaimed, hugging her again. "How've you been?"  
  
"I've been good, hero," she said, leaning upwards and planting a sturdy kiss on Link's cheek. "How about you, Link? You been taking care of my girl here?" Malon hugged Epona's snout and murmured to her "has he been nice to you, girl? Hm?"  
  
"Life's getting dull," said Link as Malon petted Epona's nose, her face radiant. "I've been treating Epona well, as always. She is my best friend, after all."  
  
"It's sad that your best friend is a horse," said Malon, resting one hand in a fist upon her waist. "Hero, you really need a girl."  
  
"I know, I know," said Link, taking off his cap and running his hands through his hair. "None of the girls seem appealing to me though."  
  
"That's even sadder," said Malon. "You are straight, aren't you?"  
  
"Of course I am," said Link with a shudder. "It's just like... that place has already been taken up in my heart somehow. Like I'm in love, but I don't remember who I'm in love with. You know, like I loved before in a past life or something, and am just waiting for them to return." Malon raised one perfectly plucked eyebrow at Link, and swished her hair behind her.  
  
"Well, hero, if you ask me, that's not too far out."  
  
"Why do you say that?" Link asked, letting go of Epona's reins and letting her trot. Malon sat on a crate, leaning back and staring up at the spotless blue sky.  
  
"Well," she said, "it's not unreasonable. Think. You woke up at age ten in the temple of time with no memory, other than your name, that you were from Kokiri forest, and that you had to find 'her', who you don't even remember. You had the Triforce of courage on the back of your left hand, and the master sword slung across your shoulders."  
  
"So?" asked Link. "Ten years of age is a little young for love, if you ask me."  
  
"I know," said Malon, "but think. Ten is also a little young to bear the master sword, or to be marked by the Triforce of courage. So, what if there was an alternate future you'd experienced, and you'd been in love there, but when you'd come back, your memory was erased so that you didn't know about any of it. And now, your subconscious is only waiting for that person to emerge again. It's reasonable, don't you think?"  
  
Link stared at Malon in disbelief, then shook his head to cover up the sudden uncertain feelings welling within him.  
  
"Mal, if you ask me, you're bonkers."  
  
"I am not!" she said. "Come on, Link, think about it?" she asked. Link shrugged.  
  
"I'll think about it when I want to," he said, and whistled Epona over. "But I didn't come here for a lesson in philosophy. I came here to train with my horse."  
  
"You got it," said Malon, standing. "Let me set up the archery range for you, hero."  
  
That night, Link lay in bed in his cabin, his mind in utter turmoil. He rolled over and watched the spitting flames in his fireplace as thoughts wandered in and out of his mind. Suddenly, he stood from his bed, recalling the bartender's words from earlier that day. The sheets slid like water from his muscled and tanned torso, across his legs in their white breeches. He reached for his cap and pulled it on, then picked his tunic up from the floor and slid it on. He grabbed his boots and gauntlets, buckled on his equipment belt, sword, and shield, and left his cabin, whistling for his horse. Epona came trotting over immediately- apparently, she hadn't been able to sleep, either. Not bothering to saddle her, Link hopped onto her bare back and clicked his tongue. With a soft whinny, Epona set off through the nighttime forest at a trot. In no time, they had left the trees and were galloping across Hyrule field towards Kakariko village. They crossed the bridge and Link dismounted from Epona, patting her gently on the head and letting her loose. He dashed up the stairs to the village and entered, with the sounds of night all around him. Hardly a person was out that night, and Link exhaled. Good. Maybe what he wanted to do would be made easier.  
  
Silently, Link crept to the windmill through the dark and pulled out his hookshot, aiming at one of the spinning fan blades. He heard a distinctive 'thunk' and zoomed upwards. He held onto the spinning blade for a moment, then hopped into the small chamber at the top of the windmill. He looked out at the village, moving himself to a place where he could see better, and waited. It might have been minutes or hours that passed with Link staring vigilantly out at the town, but finally, he saw something- a black shadow moving through the village, making its way stealthily towards one of the houses. Quietly, Link leapt down from the windmill and rolled, then quietly made his way to where the shadow. In fascination, he watched as it unlocked a window from the outside and crawled nimbly in. Link swiftly dropped to the ground and crawled below the window, ready for anything. Sure enough, several minutes later, a figure jumped swiftly to the ground in front of him. With a yell, he lunged forward and grabbed the figure, latching on to something that seemed to be an ankle. He heard a hiss, and suddenly felt himself overcome by a spell. There was something familiar about the magic cast on him, but with all the willpower and strength he had acquired over his seven years of travel and one year of random work, he shook it off. Lights came on in the village as he yelled again and grabbed his sword, running after the figure.  
  
"Come back here!" he called, but cursed as the figure leapt impossibly high, onto the grassy slope high above the vertical earthen wall above the village and scampered away through the dark. Link cursed to himself and threw down his sword.  
  
"I see the masked one got away, Hero," said a woman with graying hair, whose face and unique armor struck a bell in Link's mind. Somehow, though, he couldn't figure out who she was.  
  
"I don't trust people who wear masks," said Link bitterly. The woman smiled, which suddenly turned into a frown.  
  
"Stay the night in the village, Hero," she said. "Sleep in my house- it is unsafe for you to return to your forest."  
  
"What about my horse?" asked Link. "What about Epona?"  
  
"I will fetch her. My house is the large one up those stairs, do you see, Hero? You will find a warm bed waiting for you. My son, Sheik, will tend to your needs." Then, the woman was gone, and Link was left alone in the village square. He shrugged and made his way up to the vast house, and knocked.  
  
"Enter," came the gruff voice of a boy. Link opened the door and cautiously stepped in.  
  
"Er, hi. Are you Sheik? Your mom said..."  
  
"The spare bed is in the first room at the top of the stairs," said Sheik roughly. Link examined the boy- his face was half hidden by a collar of sorts, and his left eye was covered by wild blonde bangs, showing only his right eye, which was red. He wore a tight blue body suit, yet there was something odd about him. Something off, almost. Link shook it off and thanked Sheik, making his way up the narrow stairs to the first room. He peeled off his belt, gauntlet, tunic and boots, and stood in only his breeches. A knock resounded at the door.  
  
"Come in," said Link. Sheik entered with a tray.  
  
"Food," he said. "Eat, then sleep." He set the tray on the foot of Link's bed, and then turned to leave. Link noticed that Sheik had had his eyes downcast the entire time. Link made a move to comment about it, but stopped.  
  
"Thank you, Sheik," Link said instead. The boy turned and looked at the hero, an unreadable emotion behind his red eyes.  
  
"Sleep well, hero."  
  
Sheik left, and Link went about to consuming the bowl of soup that Sheik had brought up, and then drank the bottle of milk that had come with it. He set the tray outside his door and crawled into his bed, wrapping himself around the warm sheets and falling into slumber.  
  
Link awoke the next morning with an unidentifiable warm feeling filling his chest like water. He made a few delighted noises in his throat as he stood and stretched, the muscles across his chest and back rippling powerfully. Link looked out the window and noticed that it was near midday. Why had he slept so long? He looked around the room he was in- he remembered the woman from the previous night, and he remembered her son, but no names or faces came to him. Shrugging, he pulled on his tunic, gauntlet, boots and belt, and grabbed his sword and shield. He walked downstairs, expecting to see the woman or her child, but all was quiet. Link looked around curiously.  
  
"Um... hello?" he asked. "Is... hello?" There was no reply. He shrugged, and saw a note lying on the table, next to a bowl of soup.  
  
"Hero," it read, "we have left on important errands. Help yourself to this soup- it will still be warm when you wake. Feel free to leave any time, and leave no payment- we will not be back for a while, and would not want your money to go to robbers." There was no name. Shrugging, Link folded up the paper and stashed it in one of the bags hanging at his waist, then made a start on the soup. Sure enough, it was still warm, and Link happily drank it all, finding himself quite disappointed yet wonderfully full when he saw the bottom of the bowl. He stood from the table and exited the house, making his way around back to the stables. He walked in and found Epona, groomed well, and mentally thanked the kind strangers for their good treatment of him and his horse. He led her out of the stable and hopped on, patting her neck.  
  
"Atta girl," he whispered into her ear. "Come on. Let's go to castle town and get a drink. That's right. Yah!" Link and Epona galloped full speed out of the village, down the steps to Hyrule field, and towards the castle. Link dismounted at the drawbridge and patted Epona's neck, bidding her go find some grass to graze on. He walked across the drawbridge, and was instantly met with many soldiers mulling around castle town.  
  
"What the..." he mumbled to himself, but instead progressed to the tavern, pushing through the crowd. Link opened the door and made his way in, marveling at how crowded it was. He made his way to the bar, where there was an open seat, and sat down.  
  
"Busy day?" Link called to Eddgar.  
  
"Yeah," said the hassled looking bartender. "Hang on a few minutes, kid, and I'll be right with you."  
  
"Hey hero," said one of the village men, who was sitting next to Link. He had wild turquoise hair, and eyes of the same color, sparkling with mischief and kindness. "Can you believe it?"  
  
"Believe what?" Link asked. The villager raised his turquoise eyebrows in surprise.  
  
"You haven't heard the news?" he asked Link, in a conspiratory tone.  
  
"What news?" asked Link. The man smiled, shaking his head.  
  
"The princess disappeared last night."  
  
"What?" asked Link in shock.  
  
"Yeah, no kiddin'," said the villager, taking a sip from his tankard. "Her and her handmaiden."  
  
"Was it kidnapping?" Link asked. The villager shook his head.  
  
"We don't know. There's no sign of struggle, nothing missing- not even a single pearl gone. She just vanished, as did her attendant."  
  
"How bizarre," said Link. Eddgar hurried over.  
  
"The usual?" asked the bartender. Link nodded, and the man slid a tankard full of rum over the counter to him, then rushed off towards the other end of the counter.  
  
"You said it, kid," agreed the villager. "It's crazy. There's not even a possible way she and her attendant could've escaped. The windows were all locked from the inside, and there were guards placed around both their doors, since they're so high ranking and all. It's weird. So anyway, everybody's all freaked out and the king sent out a whole lot of soldiers to try and find her."  
  
"Hm..." said Link, taking a sip from his tankard. "There's definitely something fishy."  
  
"You're tellin' me," said the villager, shaking his head. "Name's Charl, by the way."  
  
"Link," said Link. "But everybody calls me hero, anyway."  
  
"Bet you can't get enough of that, eh?" asked Charl. Link shook his head with a smile, taking a sip from his tankard.  
  
"It gets old after a while," said Link, wiping his mouth on the back of his arm.  
  
"Hey, Link, I've got an idea," said Charl. "Howsabout you go to the old king yourself and tell him you'll look for his little princess. Eh? Eh? Rumor is you've met her before."  
  
"Oh?" said Link, and shrugged. "I did once, before I left on my trip. But that was eight years ago, and eight years can be a lot."  
  
"Yeah, true, but hell, it's worth a try, ain't it?" asked Charl, slapping Link on the back, causing him to spit out a little rum into his tankard.  
  
"Possibly," said Link. "So, where do you think she's gone?"  
  
"Me? I think she's off at that lake," said Charl. "Hidden, inside that one temple under the water."  
  
"The water temple?" asked Link. "It doesn't exist."  
  
"It does," said Charl. "It was sealed away under the lake. Zora and the likes can go visit it."  
  
"Hm," said Link. He mentally recalled his Zora's mask, mounted proudly on a wall with several other masks of his.  
  
"Anyway, other boys reckon she's on Death Mountain, or in the woods, or off in the desert, hiding with them women warriors, the Gerudo."  
  
"I doubt she's at the Gerudo outpost," said Link. "It's not the type of place a princess would go."  
  
"But they say there's something different about this princess," said Charl. "Something special. Something strange, that nobody can put their finger on. They say she's got the mark 'o the Triforce on the back of her hand, too."  
  
"Hm..." said Link, staring thoughtfully at his gauntlet. He knew that if he tapped the mark on the back of his hand, it would shine bright, as would the princess', and he could find her. However, something in his mind forbid this idea from him- that he might be endangering her if he did so. Instead, Link took another sip from his tankard, mulling over in his mind everything he'd heard as Charl got into a heated argument with the man on his other side over whether or not the temples actually existed.  
  
Link returned to his cabin and peeled off his tunic with a swoop. He removed his belt, gauntlets, boots, and breeches even, and waded into the pond near his modest home, floating in the water. He splashed himself off and floated on his back, watching the small forest spirits float above him, casting shimmering lights all across the pond. On a random impulse, Link hauled himself out of the water, got dressed, went into his house and grabbed several masks, shoving them into some bags on his belt (amazing, those bags, could hold anything and never changed size) and headed off in the direction of Kokiri village. He had only visited Kokiri village once since his return to Hyrule, and even then it had been in the middle of the night when he had needed to get some things from his old tree house- which, he had discovered, the Kokiri had perfectly preserved since his departure.  
  
Link came out of the lost woods into the clearing, and smiled at the children wandering around the village. He hopped down from the high ledge on which he stood, and made his way towards Saria's house. The children stopped in their hubbub to stare at the tall Hylian who was proceeding directly towards their most beloved Kokiri's house.  
  
"Who are you, mister?" one of the children, a little girl, tugged at his tunic. Link recognized her- Talia, one of Saria's friends.  
  
"I'm Link," he said to the little girl. Her eyes went wide.  
  
"Link!" she squealed, hugging him around the legs. The other children rushed forward to hug him as well, save for Mido, who stood back, sulking.  
  
"We thought you'd died!" they said. Link laughed.  
  
"I came close to it many times. But right now, I need to see Saria, okay?"  
  
"Alright, Link," said someone, and everybody let go of him and backed off, shyly. Link smiled and shook his head, and ducked in the low doorway of Saria's house.  
  
"Link," she said, sitting at the table with a cup of tea in front of her. She passed it to him as he wedged himself into the tiny seat. She smiled.  
  
"I knew you were coming when I heard them yelling your name. They missed you."  
  
"I didn't think they would," he said, shrugging. Saria grinned.  
  
"How have you been?"  
  
"I've been good," said Link to the green-haired girl. Saria smiled and nodded.  
  
"I thought so. I'm guessing you came to me about the princess Zelda's disappearance, correct?"  
  
"Well..." said Link, and then nodded. "Yes. I have. Among other things."  
  
"I know where she is right now," said Saria with a nod. "She's safe."  
  
"How do you know?" asked Link. Saria smiled and giggled.  
  
"Silly Link. I know lots of things! You know more than me though," she said, suddenly serious. "You just don't remember it."  
  
"I what? You're confusing me, Saria," said Link. Saria shook her head.  
  
"The princess asked me not to tell you where she is, and I said I wouldn't, so I won't," said Saria, and Link shook his head, even more confused. What would the princess of Hyrule have to do with a little Kokiri girl?  
  
"But, the temples are real," said Saria. "I know you don't think they are, but they are! Do you remember our secret spot?" Saria asked him hopefully. Link nodded. "Do you remember the ruins above it? That was the forest temple, at one point. The fire temple is in Death Mountain. The water temple is under Lake Hylia. The shadow temple is in Kakariko graveyard, and the spirit temple is at the far end of the desert, past no-man's land."  
  
"How do you know all this?" Link asked, shocked. Saria smiled and shook her head, and Link realized she wasn't telling.  
  
"You know all this, too," said Saria quietly. "You've been to each one. You just don't remember."  
  
"I what?" asked Link, his jaw dropping to the tiny wooden table. "How? When? Why don't I remember?"  
  
"Why don't you set about trying to remember how you became the hero of time first," said Saria. "Go back to your cabin in the woods. Think. I'm sure you'll remember before your adventure's over."  
  
"Adventure? I haven't started an adventure," said Link, who was by now thoroughly confused.  
  
"Yes you did," said Saria, innocently, childishly. "You started it last night, when you went to Kakariko and tried to capture the Masked Mystique. Look for the mystique again, Link. Masks aren't all they appear to be."  
  
"I know," said Link, recalling his adventures involving the massive trouble masks brought about.  
  
"So," said Saria suddenly, leaning indulgently over the table. "How were your adventures?"  
  
A few hours later found Link mulling his visit with Saria over in his mind again and again. He knew that something had changed about the little girl. She hadn't changed in body, but her mind... there was definitely something different about her mind. About her knowledge, about how she spoke and carried herself- something regal, almost. Link shook his head. It was only his imagination.  
  
He threaded his way through the trees in the Lost Woods, tapping the trunks of a few upon occasion. He looked through the passage to Goron City, shook his head, and sighed. He had tried to go through the passage once long ago, but found that it was blockaded by giant rock. I'll look at it on the way back, Link decided. He continued through the forest, and looked down at the pond before him- it lead to Zora's fountain. He'd never dared to try and look, see what was on the other side. Link shook his head and continued through the woods. He'd look at that on the way back, too. He arrived in the Sacred Forest Meadow, which, much to his horror, was crawling with monsters. Link heard a howl, and turned his head, unsheathing his sword at the speed of light. Two wolfos were running straight at him, teeth bared, claws unsheathed. Link grinned.  
  
"Now this is my kind of party," Link said, and met the awaiting claws of the wolfos with his blade. Link swirled the blade, ducked under the deadly swipe of the wolfos, and sliced it around the middle, earning a loud howl. He turned and blocked a swipe from the other wolfos, and nicked its ear with the tip of his sword. Thus the battle went- block, duck, strike, until both wolfos finally combusted into blue flame, dissolving and leaving the goods they had stolen during their lives. Link wiped the sweat from his brow- he hadn't fought like that in over a year. Link then picked up the health jars and drank down the potion within, instantly feeling better. He cautiously peeked his head into the maze, and saw what looked to be gigantic troll trooping up and down the passage. He pulled out his hookshot, struck the stupid beast with it twice, and sighed happily when it combusted as well, leaving only rupees. Link made his way through the maze, killing off the enemies as they appeared. Finally, relieved, he found himself at the stairs leading up to the clearing, to Saria's 'secret spot'.  
  
"Thank goodness," said Link, reaching the top of the stairs. Only, he wasn't so luck.  
  
BUH-WHAM!  
  
Link was thrown backwards by the force of the blast that hit him.  
  
"Curses," he spat, fishing out his bow. "That's obnoxious. Too bad I don't have a fairy here to alert me." He drew the arrow, stood quickly, aimed and fired at the "stupid-troll-thing" and ducked as another blast came flying his way. He heard an angry yell, and grinned. Link drew another arrow, stood quickly, and fired again, and the beast fell over and combusted, much to Link's delight. He rushed forward, only with slightly more caution this time, snagged the bombs left over, and proceeded into the meadow.  
  
Link didn't know why he'd come so far just to see a stupid temple ruin, but as he stood in the clearing, he felt an odd sense of purpose... of déjà vu, almost. He made his way over to a little stump where he recalled Saria would sometimes sit and play her ocarina, and sat down, heavily. Something in the corner of his mind teased him. A memory, something locked away long ago, not forgotten but not remembered, either. A figure in blue. Sadness. Sweet music.  
  
Fwhump.  
  
"What are you doing here, hero?" Link's eyes shot open.  
  
"I might ask the same of you," said Link to the boy standing in front of him, clad in a blue bodysuit. The boy from last night. Sheik.  
  
"I...." Sheik seemed taken aback. "I asked you first. You owe me an answer. As soon as yours is given, then I will give mine."  
  
"Hmph," said Link. "I don't know what I'm doing here. I just... came. I didn't think the temples existed. It seems I was wrong."  
  
"The temples exist, hero," said Sheik. "Only a fool would deny it when you have this evidence." He gestured up to the building set into the wall.  
  
"Well, it is a good thing I'm not a fool, then," snapped Link. "Now tell me, Sheik. What are you doing here?"  
  
"Can I trust you, hero?" Sheik asked, his red eyes burning fiercely. "Can the hero of time keep a secret to save a life or two?"  
  
"I can keep my mouth shut," retorted Link coldly. "I've known things I shouldn't have known, seen things no man should see. I can keep secrets." Sheik nodded, and his red eyes softened.  
  
"Yes, hero, sometimes I forget that you've seen the essence of evil. Forgive me." Sheik dusted off what looked to be a pedestal covered with leaves, and sat.  
  
"You see, Link," said Sheik, "my mother and I have taken up hiding here. There's a great evil presence welling up under the earth. Soon, it will seep through any crevice it can, and consume the world. An army is marching up from the south, though the King does not know it yet. It is composed of many hundreds of creatures of darkness, creatures that should have been locked away long ago."  
  
"Why is this?" said Link. Sheik shook his head.  
  
"I can't explain. You need to learn it for yourself, remember for yourself. But I can tell you that soon, the times will turn, and Hyrule will be drenched in blood and chaos."  
  
"Is this why the princess and her attendant disappeared?" Link asked. Sheik nodded.  
  
"Yes, this is the cause for their disappearance. They, unlike the king, know full well what is coming, and have left to secure themselves and the future of the land. As we speak, they are working against the darkness that lies within the evil realm."  
  
"I see," said Link heavily. He looked up at Sheik. "What can I do to help?"  
  
"Nothing," yelped Sheik. "Stay out of the way if you treasure your life!"  
  
"But I'm the hero of time," argued Link. "Isn't this sort of thing supposed to be my job?"  
  
"Times change, hero," snapped Sheik in reply. "The hopes of the people would be best left intact," said the young Sheikiah.  
  
"As far as I can see," said Link through gritted teeth, "you're doing nothing to help her."  
  
Sheik balled up his fists, visibly quaking.  
  
"Stick to saving old ladies' cats, hero," said Sheik bitterly. "Don't get yourself hurt." Sheik flung a deku nut at the ground by Link's feet. The hero jumped out of the way and was blinded, and when his vision returned, the Sheikiah was gone.  
  
"My life is an utter disaster!" Link fumed, throwing his things roughly down to the floor and flopping angrily upon his bed. He smashed his head against his pillow time after time, cursing his life and his unluckiness in always being dragged into the most annoying of circumstances and made to deal with the most unsavory of humans.  
  
"I can't take this!" he finally yelled, standing up violently and storming out of his cabin, bomb bag in tow, along with a camera and, on a random impulse, his chicken mask. He put on the mask and stomped around with his bombs, blowing up whatever suited his fancy, taking photos as well.  
  
"You have to be the most unstable hero I've ever seen," came a smirking voice. Link glared through the chicken mask, wanting to poke out that one red eye with the beak of his mask.  
  
Stupid Sheikiah.  
  
"Leave me to my agony," said Link. "Go back to whatever it is you Sheikias do. Lurk in the shadows, tell people they can't do their jobs..." He picked up a deku stick and began to whack angrily at a tree, then flung it over his shoulder when it snapped. With a whoosh, Sheik departed.  
  
Or so Link thought.  
  
"Poor hero," said Sheik, perching on a branch above Link's head. "Nothing to do all day. Now tell me."  
  
"Tell you what?" asked Link with a growl. "I owe you no answers."  
  
"Tell me about your travels," requested Sheik.  
  
"Not fit for anyone's ears," mumbled Link. "Seven years of hell. Go away, Sheik. I don't want to talk to you."  
  
"But I want to talk to you, hero," said Sheik.  
  
"There's a difference between talking and taunting," grumbled Link angrily. Sheik shrugged.  
  
"Sulk, then. You feel that there is no use for you. But I came here because there is something you can do. Go to the Temple of Time, and seek answers from the altar of time. I'm sure that, somehow, you will learn something of use for us all."  
  
"What in almighty Din..." Link grumbled, and then sighed, taking off his mask. "Fine, I'll go to the Faore Forsaken Temple of Time and look at the stupid altar of time... it had better be worth it," Link grumbled. A smile was evident in Sheik's voice.  
  
"Oh, it will be, hero. Trust me. It will be."  
  
"Stupid...." Grumbled Link as he slid off Epona outside the castle. The stupid Sheikiah would have him running across all of Hyrule, no doubt, just to cater to his amusement. Link still wondered why he was even listening to some dumb Sheikiah in the first place, and decided it was because there was something very familiar about him, something tugging at the corner of Link's memory. Frustrated, Link blew his bangs out from his eyes as he made his way through the crowd of townspeople and soldiers.  
  
"Excuse me, pardon me," he said, making his way through the crowd towards the Temple of Time. He hadn't been there in years... eight long years, and even when he had been there, his sanity was nearly gone from a loss... Link couldn't even remember who or what he had lost anymore, only that he had searched to find it, to find something, but only to no avail. Link slid through the door to the temple, expecting it to be crowded, but found that it was utterly empty. His boots made clicking sounds on the tiles of the temple, and he felt some overwhelming sense of purpose as he proceeded to the altar of time, where there were three glowing stones spinning. Something called to him about the stones, something missing. He knew he had been the one to put the stones there, but... when? Tentatively, he reached out and touched the first stone- a round, shining green stone. Lightly, he allowed his hand to rest upon it, feeling something at the edge of his mind, something huge, a wave of unknown memories. He looked at the two doors before him, sealed tightly shut. He shrugged, and placed his hand on the next stone, feeling even more importance. Hesitantly, he laid his hand upon the last stone, a shining blue triangle, and felt a blast explode from the altar, throwing him back. Link fell to the ground and slid backwards as the three stones rose into the air, orbiting about each other. They emitted a large gleam, and the stone Triforce above the two doors Link had earlier noticed glowed golden.  
  
A loud slam behind Link caused him to whirl, as the doors to the temple closed. He gulped nervously. Had he broken some law? Would his head be chopped off? The doors above the altar finished sliding open, and Link proceeded forward very shakily. His hand went to the sword on his back, the Master Sword, and he drew it out of his scabbard, proceeding forward. He made his way to a pedestal before him, and was struck with an odd sense of Déjà vu. He shook it off, and, without being told to do so, or even knowing what he was doing, Link plunged the sword into the pedestal and found himself engulfed in a blue light, being carried upwards. Link didn't struggle or panic, because, for some reason, what was happening felt comforting, almost. Totally right. Like this was what he was supposed to be doing. The ceiling of the temple came closer and closer, but Link ignored it- he knew what he was doing. He was the Hero of Time.  
  
All went black. 


	3. Chapter Two: Enlightenment

**Chapter Two: Enlightenment**

            _Link…_

            "Lemmisl…mm…soft…."

            _Link, wake up…_

            "Mmmmmmgububble…"

            _Awaken, chosen one, hero of time._

            "Go away, Sheik," mumbled Link stupidly, rolling over, only to be splashed very rudely by what felt like water.

            "AAH! IT'S MORPHA!" Link yelled, scrambling back up onto the platform in terror. He heard a chuckle.

            "Morpha is long dead, Link," said a deep male voice. "Thanks to you."

            "Who was Morpha?" Link asked. The voice chuckled, and Link looked for the source- a fat old man in golden robes. "And who are you?"

            "I am Raru, sage of light," said the fat guy. Link nodded, cleaning one of his molars with his tongue. "uh huh."

            "Morpha was the giant water beast that kept the sage of water captive in her temple," said Raru. Link nodded again.

            "Right," said the young warrior. "So, where am I?"

            "You're in the temple of the sages, in the middle of the evil realm."

            "Evil realm?" blubbered Link. "I thought it was the sacred realm!"

            "It was the sacred realm, until the great king of evil, Ganondorf, was sealed away inside." 

            "Ganondorf…" Link said, turning the name over on his tongue. It made him seethe with anger, and, subconsciously, he clenched his fists.

            "I see you retain subconscious memory of your past, Link," said Raru. Link shrugged.

            "I suppose. There's about a month gap that's missing from my memory, but all these people keep telling me about things that I've done. How could I do so much in a month?"

            "It's not humanly possible," said Raru. "It wasn't all in a month. Link, you have a seven year gap missing from your memory."

            "How?" gasped Link. "I'm only eighteen, and I have physical proof of each of those eighteen years of existence…"

            "It's complicated," said Raru. He tossed Link a small, leather bound book.

            "This is your journal through that time. Your memories will return to you as you read it." Link turned over the journal- he remembered, Saria had given it to him for his tenth birthday, and he'd only realized it was missing once he arrived in Termina, so long ago. Link placed it within his tunic and looked up at Raru.

            "There are things left unexplained in your journal," said the old sage. "Things you must discover for yourself again. Return to Hyrule, hero, and learn your own story, the story only myself and seven others know, and even then, only in pieces."

            "Thank you, Raru," said Link as he was engulfed by the blue light. The old sage smiled and bowed his head.

            "Nil est- it is nothing. Go, hero. Hyrule needs you once again."

            Link was surrounded by blue, and was suddenly left, standing unsteadily on his feet, clutching to the master sword. He inspected himself, then, satisfied and assured that he had NOT been hallucinating, he removed the sword from the pedestal and left the chamber, the doors grinding shut behind him. Link walked past the altar of time and out the doors, which had magically unlocked upon his return. 

            "Hero," came a distinctive voice, a voice Link would know anywhere. Link whirled. Sheik was standing above the altar of time, almost as though he had been waiting there.

            "To return to this temple again, play the Prelude of Light." Sheik pulled a harp out of nowhere, and plucked out a simple melody. Link pulled out his ocarina and fumbled along, finally  getting the melody and playing along with Sheik, creating a lovely duet.

            "Sheik, how did you know…"

            "Never underestimate the Mei," he said, then pulled out a deku nut, flung it at Link's feet, and vanished in a flash of light. Link shook his head at the Sheikiah's strange behavior, but took no note of it and instead made his way out of the temple and down into the village, across the drawbridge and towards his horse.

            "Epona!" he whistled, and his horse came running. He mounted her and they set off at a gallop towards the woods- Link was eager to learn, to remember, to start on his journal. However, there was a part of his mind that nagged at him.

            _If my memories were sealed away for so long, weren't they sealed away for a reason? Maybe this is all some giant mistake. Maybe I shouldn't read. Maybe I should just sleep. Maybe I should leave Hyrule,_ Link thought to himself.

            _No,_ he contradicted. Leaving _Hyrule is a horrible idea- you are Hyrule's hope_.

            Link rode on through the falling night to the woods, his thoughts in turmoil as he reached his humble cabin. He removed Epona's gear and let her run off through the clearing, neighing happily. Link entered his cabin and lit a fire in his fireplace, grabbed some random plants he'd stashed in his rafters and ate quickly. He pulled his journal out of his tunic and opened it up- something gold slid to the floor. Link picked it up and turned it over in his hands, hearing Raru's voice in his head.

            _Link, this is the medallion of light that I grant to you. I believe it may be useful in your upcoming quest. Keep it safe- this is no worldly object, and we cannot allow it to become victim to theft._

            Link tucked it away behind a mask hanging upon his wall, understanding the words of the old sage. He grabbed his journal and opened it to the first page, and began to read.

            _"Dear Journal, you'll never guess what! Today, I got a fairy. A real fairy! Her name's Navi, and she says she's come to guide me. She says I need to go see the great deku tree right away, so I'm going to have to go. I hope I'm going on an adventure! Maybe now, all the other Kokiri will recognize me as somebody important."_

            Link smiled sadly, and flipped the page.

            _"Dear Journal, the great deku tree died. I couldn't do anything to save it… I feel so bad. I beat the giant spider living inside it and everything, but…_

_            "Now all the other children hate me. I want to die, journal, but Navi says we have to take the shiny stone that the great deku tree gave me to the princess. I hope the princess isn't too snooty._

_            "Dear Journal…_

_            "Wow, you'll never guess what…_

_            "Dear journal…_

_            "Today was the worst…"_

            Link read through the journal, memories flooding him as he took in the childish scrawl. Then, there was suddenly a new scrawl, something with the semblance of the script of an aristocrat whose hand cramped with disuse.

            "_Well, you'll never believe it. I ripped the stinking sword out of the pedestal, and that jerk, Ganondorf, appeared and stole the Triforce. I woke up in this room filled with water, with this crazy old bald coot blabbering on about something or other. I'm not sure. But the thing is… I grew up. Seven years have elapsed! I slept so long… and what's worse, Saria is supposedly trapped in the forest temple. I left the sacred realm on my way to save her, but the strangest person in weird blue clothes appeared on the pedestal of time. He says his name is Sheik. He told me to go to Kakariko graveyard, that there's a tool there that I need to obtain. There's something very odd about this Sheik… I suppose I have nothing to do but trust him, though._

_            "Hyrule is in total ruin. If only I had prevented Ganondorf from getting the Triforce! If only I had gone to the __Temple__ of Time sooner… but right now, there's no time for "if only"s. My goal is to rid Hyrule of the plague of evil called Ganondorf Dragmire, and I will not let a thing stop me."_

            Link read on, totally engrossed in learning his past. The battles came back to him, the annoying chirping of Navi at the most inconvenient times, the dungeons, the pungent stench of his own blood that he grew to know so well. He read on into the early hours of the morning, when it finally came to an abrupt stop.

_            "I defeated those stupid witch sisters. They're gone now- no worries. I've cleaned out the last of the seven temples, and Nabooro has become a sage. She granted me the medallion of spirit. That makes the seventh and final medallion, and all the sages awakened. I've paused to write down the events in the journal because after I warp to the temple of time, I'll engage in what could very well be the last battle of my life. My only regrets are that I never did get to tell Zelda how beautiful I think she is, or how much I adore her. I know she is alive, but I will probably not see her before I go engage in the final battle with Ganondorf. Shame, really… it's her that has kept me going, her and the constant reassurance from Sheik._

_            "Navi is bothering me. I'm nervous. I don't want to die. However, I've sworn that I… I will rid the earth of the plague of Ganondorf. So, to anybody who might read my journal, farewell. If I die, I will die with the honor of the knowledge that I protected Hyrule with the last of my life. I  can only hope that the next page contains details of my defeat of the king of darkness,  but for now, I must go battle. Wish me luck."_

            There was no entry on the next page.

            Link sighed and sat back, placing his journal on the table. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, and looked at the clock he had acquired in Termina. Four in the morning…

            "I know I defeated Ganondorf," Link mumbled to himself, scratching the back of his neck, "but I wish I could remember how. I wish I could remember the princess, too. She really must be something…"

            Link heard a rustle outside, but took the noise only as a nighttime creature. What happened next totally shocked him. Sheik staggered into Link's cabin with a throwing knife embedded in his side.

"He-ro…" Sheik groaned, and Link rushed forward to catch the Sheikiah.

            "Sheik? Sheik, what happened?" asked Link, alarmed.

            "Me and mo-ther… temple… attacked…" Link carried the bleeding boy over to his bed and removed the throwing knife and top of his tight blue garment, exposing a pale yet muscular stomach, covered in blood. Link went to a drawer and grabbed a roll of cloth, dashed outside and soaked a piece in cold water, and quickly cleaned up the blood, then bound Sheik's stomach.

            "Here," said Link, handing him a bottle of red potion. "Drink this. It'll help." Link gently lifted Sheik's head and dribbled the potion into the wounded Sheikiah's mouth. Sheik's lips quirked up in a smile.

            "Thanks, Hero," he said, seeming to regain energy. His red eyes were flashing. "My mother is fine- she managed to escape, and has taken up residence with the shadows, for the time being. There is no need for you to worry about her, Hero."

            "So, what exactly happened?" Link asked, concerned. Sheik shook his head.

            "Ganondorf's minions attacked us out of nowhere- we were ambushed. They just… came out of the ground. It was scary," coughed Sheik. "I must give you credit, Hero."

            "Thanks," said Link, patting Sheik on the head. Sheik reached up and removed his turban, messy golden hair falling around his head. Link grinned and ruffled to the Sheikiah's hair, much to Sheik's disgust.

            "Rest, Sheik," said Link. "You'll be better in the morning."

            "Link?" croaked Sheik groggily. Link turned.

            "Thanks," he said, smiling, an unidentifiable sparkle in his eyes. Link smiled.

            "No problem," he said. "I owe you after that incident with Bongo Bongo so long ago." Sheik's eyes widened, and he shot up.

            "How much do you remember?" he growled ferociously. Link moved forward and pressed Sheik back down onto the bed.

            "What I read in there is of no concern to you," said Link. Sheik relaxed and nodded, though his red eyes were wide and jumpy.

            "I'm sorry about that, hero. Thank you…" and he rolled over and was asleep. Link scrutinized the boy and shook his head, then grabbed some cushions out of a closet, curled up on the ground, and slept, journal in hand.

            In the morning when Link awoke, Sheik was gone. There was only a note left on the table.

            _"Hero, I thank you for your kindness. However, urgent matters have come to my attention that I have to address. Do not, I repeat, do NOT engage yourself in these matters or with me in any way yet. It's best that you aren't killed before the war begins."_

            Link shook his head and set the letter down, then made his way over to the bed, sitting down heavily and wondering when the Sheikiah would next visit him- and if not Sheik, then who? Unfortunately, the last thing Link would expect was the fact that, as soon as night fell that evening, he would be paid a very unexpected visit from the last person he would recognize…

The Masked Mystique.

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            Link sat in bed that night, flipping through the pages of his journal once again, forwards, then backwards, then forwards, as though looking for some secret message, something he had missed.

            "I don't get it," he said, straining his memory as hard as he could. It seemed as though there was something missing… Link could recall his acquisition of the spirit medallion, then sitting down on the temple steps to write what he feared would be his last entry, then standing and pulling out his ocarina and playing the prelude of light, and then a huge black gap until the princess presenting Link with the ocarina of time, and him riding away to Termina.

            Frustrated, Link stood and pulled off his cap, anxiously running his hands through his wild golden hair. He rammed the cap back on to his head, picked up a sword, and decided to head outside to train. He made his way over to a scarecrow he had mounted and began to fight with it, perfecting various sword moves. He swooped off his tunic as his body heated up with the exercise.

            "Yes," thought Link. "Let me sweat out my anger." With a loud "YAH!" Link performed a complicated midair spin and plummeted towards the scarecrow, cleaving it neatly in two. He smiled at the satisfied "thunk-thunk" the straw head made as it landed, one half after another, on either side of the scarecrow. Link grabbed his tunic and wiped his forehead, congratulating himself on a technique well mastered, when something he saw made him stop completely.

            Something was moving in his cabin.

            Link dropped his tunic and crept forward, peering in the window of his cabin. A black cloaked figure was quietly checking around Link's cabin, obviously looking for something. A porcelain mask was the only thing showing, other than hands covered in bandages just barely showing from the arms of the cloak.

            It was indubitably the Masked Mystique.

            Quietly, the cloaked figure crept towards Link's table, obviously seeing what it wanted. His journal? The figure grabbed the small leather book and tucked it down their robes, then made their way towards the door. Link crept around the side of the house, and then stood beside the door, awaiting their exit.

            "What do you think you're doing with my journal?" Link asked, hand on his sword. The figure gasped, then ran.

            "Come back here! Give me back my journal!" Link yelled, chasing after them. Though they were swift, Link had become used to running long distances at a time, and quickly caught up once they began to lag from exhaustion. He gave a great yell and tackled them, rolling down a grassy slope in the woods, wrestling for his journal. Link drew his sword and pulled the figure to their feet, backing them up against a tree and pressing his sword against their neck.

            "Who are you?" Link asked the cloaked figure. "Show yourself." He pressed the sword blade into the figure's throat, though they did not recoil. Chin held high, the figure moved two bound hands up to its masked face. Link held in his breath as fingers slid underneath the mud-stained plate. What would he see? A horrible disfigurement? A monster?

            What Link saw when the figure peeled away the mask was so totally unexpected that it sent him gasping for air. The loveliest woman he had ever seen peered defiantly back at him from under the hood, her violently blue eyes sparkling with pride. Her cheeks were high and beautifully pink, her lips rose colored and plush. A strand of curling blonde hair fell into her eyes from under her hood, but she didn't seem to notice. Her eyes were fixated steadily on him.

            "Who are you?" he asked in a whisper. "What is your name?" She did not speak, but Link saw a flicker of doubt behind her stubborn eyes. "Why won't you speak?" he asked in a whisper, reaching up to touch her face. In a whirl, the girl spun around and leapt into the branches of a tree high above.

            "Wait!" called Link after her. "Come back here!" but she had vanished through the branches of the trees. Link looked down and noticed that she had dropped her mask. He picked it up, brushing the dirt and mud off of the white porcelain, and stroked the face of it with his finger. With a sigh, Link slumped onto a tree stump, burying his face in his leather-gauntleted hands. He yanked at a strand of blonde hair that fell into his blue eyes, then tucked it back into the green cap that permanently adorned his head. 

            "What does it mean?" he asked himself, sighing and dragging at his face with his hands, looking at the mask he'd placed in his lap. "What does it mean?" He stood, brushing off his white breeches, and grabbed the mask, stashing it within his green tunic. He whistled through his teeth to Epona, who came trotting up to him seemingly from out of nowhere. He hauled himself up into the saddle and rode off into the forest with a "yah!" It was not long before he reached his small, modest cabin. He let Epona loose and stooped at the small pond outside his home to splash his face, still shaking his head at the odd events that had just occurred. Who was that girl? Why had she taken his journal? He entered his cabin and sat on his bed, reclining against his pillow. He looked at his table, and noticed that his paper and ink were out. Confused, he stood and made his way to the table, meaning to clean up the mess. What he saw caused him to stop dead in his tracks.  A letter sat neatly in the middle of the table, a roll of parchment and a bottle of ink with a brush sitting nearby. The elegant letters on the parchment were still wet, glistening in the fire that warmed the cold cabin. Shaking, Link bent before the letter.

            "I am the Mei, the seventh sage. Do not try to come into contact with me- you must stay away from me if you treasure your life. Someday, all that is foggy will be unveiled before your eyes, but for now, do not meddle in affairs that you are unconnected with." There was a smudge, as though the Mei had been meaning to write more, but had heard Link coming. The teenager whirled around, searching his cabin for any signs that anything was amiss. He noticed the window was open- that was how the Mei had made her quick escape without being detected by the young hero. Shaking his head in confusion, Link pulled the mask out from within his tunic, studying the mask that had covered the face of the beautiful warrior.

            "Mei…" he said, running his finger along the edge of the faceplate. He set it down on the table, determined. "I'm connected in this- you've taken something that belongs to me. We will meet again, shadow warrior. I vow to learn who it is you truly are, Mei," he said, "with the goddesses as my witnesses. Strike me down if I don't learn the mind behind the face you mask."

            As though this was the final straw in deciding Link's involvement with the war, he then set about to collecting his weapons from random corners of his cabin, making plans for his next great adventure. What he didn't see was the shuddering character sneaking away from his window, cloaked in black with only the tear and mud streaked face of a blonde beauty showing. Mei crawled through the woods until she could no longer see or smell the smoke rising from the chimney of Link's cabin, and collapsed against a tree, sobbing hysterically.

            "No, Link, don't," she cried. "You'll only get yourself killed…"

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            Link, armed and totally ready the next morning, rode off into the sunset (sunrise, really, but he imagined it to be an epic sort of sunset) in a heroic, stubborn, and slightly foolish-looking way.  Epona was completely loaded down with any equipment Link might have found useful; though some would call this excessive, Link was a hero and he knew exactly what he was doing. Each of the saddlebags was filled to the brim with "worthless junk" as Link was sure Navi or Tatl or any of his countless guides would call it- bombs and bombchus, deku sticks, masks, magical items, spells, compasses, maps, and pages after pages of various magical songs from different lands. Link led Epona to the sacred forest meadow, and dismounted. Monsters were running amuck in the maze once more. Link made his way through, eliminating the disgusting creatures in his way, until he reached the clearing in which the temple stood. Waiting for him, calm as anything, was the one person certain to be of the most help to Link.

            Sheik.

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

_There used to be a greying tower alone on the sea.  
You became the light on the dark side of me.  
Love remained a drug that's the high and not the pill.  
But did you know,  
That when it snows,  
My eyes become large and,  
The light that you shine can be seen.  
  
Baby,  
I might compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grave.  
Ooh,  
The more I get of you  
Stranger it feels, yeah.  
And now that your rose is in bloom,  
A light hits the gloom on the grave.  
  
There is so much a man can tell you,  
So much he can say.  
You remain,  
My power, my pleasure, my pain.  
Baby, to me you're like a growing addiction that I can't deny  
Won't you tell me is that healthy, baby?  
But did you know,  
That when it snows,  
My eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen.  
  
Baby,  
I might compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grave.  
Ooh, the more I get of you  
stranger it feels, yeah.  
  
Now that your rose is in bloom.  
A light hits the gloom on the grave,  
I've been kissed by a rose on the grave,  
I've been kissed by a rose  
...And if I should fall, at all  
I've been kissed by a rose  
There is so much a man can tell you,  
So much he can say.  
You remain  
My power, my pleasure, my pain.  
To me you're like a growing addiction that I can't deny  
Won't you tell me is that healthy, baby.  
But did you know,  
That when it snows,  
My eyes become large and,  
the light that you shine can be seen.  
  
Baby,  
I might compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grave,  
Ooh, the more I get of you  
Stranger it feels, yeah  
  
Now that your rose is in bloom,  
A light hits the gloom on the grave.  
Yes I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grave.  
Ooh, the more I get of you  
stranger it feels, yeah._

_  
Now that your rose is in bloom.  
A light hits the gloom on the grave,_

_Now that your rose is in bloom.  
A light hits the gloom on the grave_

_~Kiss from a rose, by Seal_


	4. Chapter Three: The Quest Begins

**Chapter Three: The Quest Begins**__

I looked at the hero, sitting proud and tall on that horse of his, and felt a mix of emotions seeping through me. Happiness. Anger. Love. Hate. The mixture of mismatched emotions congealed together to form who I was- Sheik, a Sheikiah, suffering from internal turmoil.

            Or at least, that's who I kept reminding myself who I was. 

            I looked upon the hero, my hero, and felt love seep through my every bone. He was riding tall and proud upon the back of his beautiful horse, Epona, who was loaded down with bags. She didn't seem to mind, though- it made me wonder just what Link had in those bags, just what he had seen.

            "Going somewhere, hero?" I ask, trying to keep my voice from quaking.

            "Yes," said Link, "and you're coming with me."

            "Me?" I ask. "I wasn't informed of this earlier."

            "You're coming with me," said Link. "I need you." There was a fire burning behind his eyes.

            "Need? You need me, Link?" I gulped, confused. Link nodded.

            "That's right. I need your knowledge. I need you to guide me. I'm in this war, whether you like it or not, and I need you to tell me everything you know. I need you to come with me, to be my partner." Link chewed on the inside of his cheek.

            "I'll only be a liability to you, hero," I said. Link shook his head.

            "I'm used to fighting for two, if not more. But I need a guide. I need someone who knows something about what's going on. Please, Sheik. Come with me. Help me. Be my guide- I need to know where to go."

            "Why?" I asked, doing my best to keep from whispering. "Why?"

            "Because I love this world," said Link. "I've shed gallons of my own blood to keep her safe, and I'm not about to let some dark lord crush this land. I'm doing it for the sages, and for the princess."

            "Why the princess? And why do you need me?" I asked, totally taken aback.

            "The princess, because she is my inspiration- it was the idea of her, of fulfilling her wishes and saving the land she so loved, that kept me going throughout my last quest in Hyrule, and so it will be again. I want to do anything I can to help her," said Link, clenching his fist.

            "You know," I said, my heart fluttering within me, "I knew the princess very well."

            "How?" asked Link. I smiled lightly, though I knew Link couldn't see it.

            "My mother, Impa," I said, "was the princess' attendant for many years, do you not recall?"

            "Yes…" said Link slowly. I nodded, lying as reasonably as I could.

            "I grew up in the palace, alongside the princess. She was my childhood friend. But, not long after Ganondorf first arrived, my mother sent me away to train to become a Sheikiah warrior."

            "Oh," said Link. He then squinted at me. "Didn't the princess and her attendant disappear the same night that I met you?" My heart thudded in my cage. How would I cover for this?

            "Yes," I said. "The princess was in the very house that you slept in. We were hiding her until we could help her to a safer place where she could work against the oncoming war."

            "I see," said Link. "But…" I waved my hand.

            "No more questions, Hero. My turn to ask. What is it you plan to do? I told you not to get involved…" 

            "I love this land as much as I love this horse here," said Link, fondly stroking Epona's neck. "You told me not to get involved, but I can't not get involved when it comes to Hyrule and the well being of her people. And I plan to stop this war, even at the cost of my life. I will stop Ganondorf again. It is him that's causing all these problems, isn't it?" he asked me. I nodded once. 

            "Nobly spoken, Hero," I said, touched. "Well, I suppose the first thing we must to is ascend to the evil realm."

            "Why?" Link asked me, confused. I looked pointedly at him.

            "Because that's where Ganondorf is right now. We can't defeat him yet, however, there's matters we must take care of there first if we wish to defeat him."

            "Matters like what?" Link asked. "Isn't it a void?" I shuddered at this.

            "It would be better if it were. The evil realm is an exact copy of Hyrule, but without any of the good. Ganondorf leeched it all out when he acquired the Triforce of power so long ago. So, our first order of business would be going through the evil realm and making it good again."

            "How?" Link asked. I blinked.

            "Hero, you should know this. When Ganondorf reigned over Hyrule, the evils he inflicted on our world leeched from the temples, remember? So we'll have to go through and defeat the temples all over again."

            "Oh…" mumbled Link, scratching the back of his neck. "I see."

            I nodded to Epona. "Take her to Malon," I said. "She'll keep care of her whilst we're gone. Only take what will be useful," I added, noting the many saddlebags. Link nodded, and quickly opened several bags, extracting what looked to be masks.

            "What are you doing?" I asked him as he shoved a mask that resembled a mummy into his bag.

            "Masks," Link explained.

            "Why do you need masks, hero?" I asked, thinking that surely, Link had lost his marbles. Link sighed, pulled out a mask that looked rather like a child's interpretation of a statue face, and placed on his face.

            And was gone.

            "Hero?" I asked tentatively. Link reappeared, pulling off the masks.

            "I'm packing my six most useful masks," he said. "The Zora, deku, and Goron masks transform me into those creatures, then there's the stone mask, which causes invisibility, the gibdo mask, which keeps gibdos and redeads away from me, and the fierce deity's mask, which will aid in our final battle."

            "Where did you get them?" I asked, walking over to him and picking out a mask that looked rather like an evil man's hooded head. Link shivered.

            "Put that one back," he said. "It calls the dead. The mask is stained with blood." I shivered lightly as well and put the mask back in its bag, wondering why Link possessed such a thing. 

            "I acquired it in Termina, on my quest for my fairy," he said, then pulled out a great multitude of swords and shields, and I wondered how he managed to fit so much into so few bags. Link handed me a shining shield with a screaming face upon it.

            "Mirror shield," he said, and then handed me two swords- one sword very much like a golden dagger, the other one long with swirling characters, and, to my infinite amusement, very pink and very sparkly.

            "Great Fairy's Sword," he said, frustrated at my amusement. "Go hit a tree with it." I obliged, if only to amuse my hero, and swung the sword at a tree.

            The tree snapped in half.

            "Holy Din," I exclaimed. Link nodded.

            "It's a bit fruity, but I figure anyone who sees it is dead in one blow anyway. That'll be your sword- it should even us out a bit."

            "Right then," I said, putting the sword in its sheath and slinging it across my back. He also presented me with a bow and a multitude of magical arrows, a hookshot, and two bomb bags- one for regular bombs, and another for bombchus. I packed it all into my own Sheikiah bag, which was nice in that it shrank everything down enough so that I could carry it with me. I figured Link had several too, when he pulled out…

            "A keg?" I asked skeptically, and noticed what care Link was handling it with.

            "A powder keg," Link said. "I only have one of these. It's… very, very strong. Very dangerous. Don't worry, though," he said as I took a step back. "It won't explode on us until I detonate it." He magically packed it into another bag, which he slung over his shoulder.

            "Right," he said. "That should be everything we need. Oh, wait," he said, and threw two tunics at me- a red and a blue.

            "Good foresight," I commented, stashing them in my own bag. Link nodded and tucked a small book into his own bag… was it a journal? He apparently saw my curious glance.

            "Every single song I ever learned," he said. "Very useful." He then walked to his horse and murmured something into her ear. She whinnied and he slapped her rump. She trotted away through the woods.

            "Are you sure that was wise, Hero?" I asked him worriedly. Link nodded.

            "I'm certain. Epona can handle herself. Are we ready to go, Sheik?" he asked me. I pulled out my harp.

            "Ready when you are, Hero," I said. Link grinned and pulled out the ocarina of time, and together we played the Prelude of Light, being whisked off to the temple of time as we played in sweet unison. 

            "Sheik…" Link said to me once we'd arrived.

            "Yes, Hero?" I asked him. 

            "When we get back from this… thing, there's something more I want you to help me with," he said to me.

            "What?" I asked him guardedly.

            "You see, the thing is… I need to catch the Masked Mystique. Do you know anything about h- them?" he asked. I sucked in my breath- the weight of his journal was present in my bag and now it seemed to be weighing me down.

            "I will help you if I can. I do not know much about them, but I can try and be of assistance," I half-lied. Link nodded and smiled at me, his beautiful blue eyes crinkling.

            "Thank you, Sheik," he said.

            "No problem, Hero. Now, don't we have an evil realm to ascend to?"

            "Aye," said Link, making his way towards the altar of time and briefly touching each stone. They rose into the air and whirled, and the Triforce above the doors of time grew bright. Behind me, the temple doors slammed magically shut- a precaution the sages had taken since Ganondorf's unexpected intrusion upon Link's first venture into the sacred realm. Link stepped into the room, and I followed him, both of us making our way to the pedestal of time. Link pulled the sword from his back, looked at it once or twice, and then plunged it roughly into the pedestal of time. Blue light encircled us, and I gripped Link so that I would not be left behind. Together, we flew towards the ceiling of the temple, but astoundingly did not hit it. We rose into the sky, higher and higher, surrounded by blue, until…

            Thud.

            I landed unsteadily on my feet and let go of Link's stomach. He held tight to the master sword still, steady as a rock. I blew some strands of blonde hair out of my red eyes and tanned face, and turned to Link.

            "This is definitely the place," I said, looking around the temple. It was the same as the temple of time, and yet… different. Somehow, though, I knew. It was exactly like it had been so long ago…

            "I agree," said Link, giving the master sword an anxious glance as we made our way out of the pedestal room. Something seemed off, though, somehow…

            I gasped.

            "Everything's backwards!"

            Sure enough, the seals on the floor of the temple were all reversed, as were the windows, the stones…

            "How odd," Link commented, feeling across his back for a gigantic sword. "I don't like it."

            "Me neither," I said, "but that's the evil realm. Now come on- we're far too close to Ganondorf's center of operations. We need to go to the forest temple. Come on," I said. Link nodded, and pulled out his ocarina.

            "No," I said. "The song is void here, because we're not in Hyrule. That's not the song we need to play. Play it backwards," I said. Link gave me an odd glance, and then a light clicked behind his eyes.

            "Oh," he said. "Right. That makes sense, considering everything else is backwards here…"

            "Yes," I said. Link thought for a moment, fingering his ocarina, then began to play. I played along with him, and we were swept up in bubbles of green light.

            "Is this the lost woods?" Link gasped, looking around. The trees were all black, dead… evil. The temple above us was resplendent in marble beauty, as perfect as the day it was first built, but still, there was something wrong.

            "Look," I said in a whisper, making my way up to one of the 'marble' columns. I touched one of the stripes in the marble, and pulled my hand back, my fingers covered in a sticky, purple-red substance. "It's blood."

            "We're in the evil realm, alright," said Link with a shudder. I wiped the blood off on a tree, and looked to the door of the temple.

            "Well," I said weakly, "shall we enter?"

            "Right," said Link, still looking a little shaken. He walked in before I did, drawing the massive sword resting across his back. I did the same, and we both groped for our mirror shields. We stood in the middle of a courtyard of sorts, filled with beautiful plants blooming. I shivered.

            "Link, do you see that pink plant over there?" I asked him. He nodded. I tore off a small bandage from my hands and tossed it at the pink plant, which came alive, sprouting massive jaws with acid green bile dripping from its pointed teeth. It gobbled up the cloth quickly and went back to being a beautiful flower. Link shuddered.

            "This place is sick."

            We continued into the next room, where there was a locked door. Link turned to me.

            "Well," he said, "locked. If I remember correctly from when I did this the first time, there was a key in the previous room…somewhere."

            "Yick," I said at the thought of going back into the twisted garden. Link's eyes went wide.

            "Duck, Sheik!" he said. I hit the ground and rolled, looking up as a gigantic spider covered in blood fell from the ceiling. Link slashed at it with his sword and it screamed and combusted into blue flames. I stood up with a shudder.

            "You alright?" he asked me. I nodded.

            "You?" I asked. Link nodded, and we both made our ways back into the previous room.

            "By Din, this place is messed up," I muttered as we looked around the toxic garden. "Where would a key be?" Link and I both looked around, and suddenly, I spotted something unusual.

            "Link," I said, "there's something different about the soil in the far left corner, do you see?" I asked him, pointing. "The soil is a light brown near here, but over there it's black. What do you think?"

            "Hm," said Link. "I'm going to check it out. Stay here, keep on your toes."

            "Of course," I said. Link unsheathed the mighty sword again and slashed at one of the disgusting pink flowers that was growing over the soil. Instantly, the entire garden came to life, crawling, creeping, spitting, and chomping. Link ran back over to me.

            "Uh oh," he said as we stood, back to back, swords raised against the carnivorous flowers. "You ready to fight?"

            "Ready as ever," I said, tightening my grip on the Great Fairy's Sword.

            "Alright," said Link. "Go for it." We both dove into the flowers, chopping, cutting, hacking… finally, the entire garden combusted into blue flames. I shielded my eyes, and, when the fire cleared, I whirled around and found Link inspecting the corner where there was black soil.

            "A switch," he said. "Clever." An odd noise echoed through the room, and a chest appeared in the middle of the room. Link kicked it open, and pulled out a key.

            "Right, well," he said, "solves that problem."

            We proceeded back into the next room, very aware of our surroundings, opened the door, and entered the main chamber of the temple. As the door opened, the lights grew bright, then dimmed, revealing four different colored torches in the middle of the room, as well as a lift, which sank into the ground. I kept a tight grip on the Great Fairy's Sword as the lights in the middle began to swirl, then transformed into four ghastly Poe ghosts, cackling and vanishing. Link smiled grimly.

            "At least they haven't gotten any more gruesome," he said. I nodded. Link pointed over to the left.

            "Come on, Sheik," he said. "This way first." We ascended a staircase into a small hallway. Another of the bloody spiders descended quickly from the ceiling, but this time, Link and I were ready for it. Link hacked it apart magnificently, with the brutal skill of an excellent swordsman.

            After all, Link was only the best swordsman of all time.

            Link displayed his excellent skill time after time as rooms began to blend together. Finally, we came out in a room with a large staircase and a black painting.

            "Look, Link," I said, pointing. "There's something strange about that painting…"

            "Blast," Link hissed. "Lovely. I always hated this part."

            I decided not to ask what he meant. Link drew out his bow and arrow and crept up the stairs on his belly. I wished I had a camera. He drew his arrow and shot- I heard the unearthly scream of a Poe. A ghost appeared in the painting, screamed at me, cackled, and vanished. I saw Link creep around the corner of the stairs, then vanish, and then that unearthly scream came again. The ghost appeared in the painting before me again, trapped. Link came down the stairs.

            "You ready?" he asked me. I nodded. He smacked an arrow into the middle of the painting and the ghost screamed and whirled, then combusted and appeared before our very eyes.

            "Sheik, stairs," Link instructed. I nodded and hurried to them, and the battle began between Link and the Poe. I watched in fascination as the ghost made itself invisible and hovered around, detectable only by the lantern it carried. Link would always pull out his hook shot, though, and wait until the Poe returned to full visibility.

            Then he would strike.

            "Finally," Link muttered when the Poe screamed once more and erupted into flames, leaving behind a handful of arrows. "I thought that would never end."

            "How many more times do you have to do that?" I asked him.

            "If I remember properly," he said, kicking open a small chest, "it's once. Then we have a puzzle to solve, we battle the head poe, and then there's the boss battle just after that."

            "Aren't we lucky," I said sarcastically. Link nodded and sat on the ground.

            "At least this wing of the temple is clear," he said. "Or should be, at least. Sorry, Sheik, but I'm starving," he told me. I nodded as he pulled out a loaf of bread from his bag and bit in. He tore off a massive chunk and handed it to me. I carefully pulled down the bottom of my collar and ate the bread, grateful that Link had thought to feed me, too. 

            "So, Sheik," Link said, and I looked up, halfway through swallowing. "What are you planning on doing once we clean up this mess? What do you want to do with your life?"

            I gulped, the rest of the bread sliding roughly down my throat. How to answer this… I certainly couldn't tell him that I had every intention of spending the rest of my life by his side in any way I could, nor could I say that I planned on going back to my old life. No. Impa and I had left for just that reason.

            "I plan on making a difference," I said to him, my red eyes meeting his crystalline blue ones. "And I will do it in any way I can."

            "Determined, aren't we?" 

            "Yes," I said to him. "But I love y-" I broke off, my eyes widening at what I'd just said, and inserted a huge coughing fit to cover what I'd just nearly said. 

            "You okay, Sheik?" Link asked, thumping me on the back. I nodded and straightened.

            "Sorry about that. Like I was saying, I love nothing more than the land of Hyrule, and am willing to do anything I can to bring her to the beauty that she once had."

            "That's noble," said Link, leaning back against the wall. "But… don't you want a family? Something to make your life concrete? Helping Hyrule will only get you so far…. I learned that the hard way…" he said softly. A pang echoed within my heart.

            "Yes," I said softly. "I would like a family. However," I said, choosing my words carefully, "I do not think it will happen. The one I love shows no sign of returning my affections. I watch from afar. I do not think I can have that."

            "Sure you can," said Link. "It's just a matter of waiting for that person to come to their senses," he said with a nod.

            "What about you, Hero?" I asked, leaning back against the wall as well. "What do you want to do?"

            "Well," Link said, thinking, "I'll probably go on a quest of sorts to find the missing pieces of my past that I can't remember, if I haven't found them by the time you and I are done. Then I suppose I'll travel around Hyrule, helping people where they need it."

            "What about the whole love thing?" I asked him. Link sighed.

            "I don't know what love is. I've never felt it. I'm hoping to fall in love someday, but I'm thinking that I might already be in love, and don't know it, and never will."

            "Why do you say that?" I asked Link. He shrugged.

            "Well, I mean, girls don't interest me- but I'm straight, I know that much," he added hastily. I smiled lightly. He continued. "Sure, I think they're pretty and all, but none of the girls that I know are girls I'd want to be in a relationship with. I don't know. I think that maybe I'm in love already, but with who? I thought maybe it was someone from my alternate future, but that's been scratched out because I never loved then, I don't think. And it's not someone from my travels, because I never knew anyone well enough for that. I just don't know, Sheik."

            "You'll figure it out sometime, Hero," I said, hope welling within my chest. "I'm sure of it."

            "Yeah, I guess so," said Link. "Come on," he said, standing up and offering me his hand. I took it, and he hauled me to my feet. "We've got a temple to clean."

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            "Ngh!" Link gave a final grunt and whacked apart the spinning purple Poe, which combusted into purple flames and lit the last of the four torches. I stepped forward from where I'd taken security.

            "Well done, Hero," I said to him. Link nodded and sat down on the ground, breathing heavily. I fished a bottle of red potion sympathetically out of my pouch and handed it to him. He downed it in one gulp and made a face, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.

            "That stuff is nasty," he grimaced. "I'm feeling much better, though." The elevator rose out of the middle of the ground, and Link looked to it.

            "Well," he said. I nodded. "Down we go. How long have we been in here, Sheik?" he asked me suddenly. I thought hard for a moment.

            "I'd say about half a day, by my estimation."

            "Well, we can't stop now," said Link. "Boss battle time." I nodded.

            "If we leave the temple, the evil will regenerate and we'll have to go through and clean it out again after we defeat the boss."

            "Yeah," nodded Link. I looked at him and he looked at me, and we made our way towards the elevator, cramming ourselves onto the tiny box-like structure. Down it went, and quickly landed in a room carpeted in red and blue. Link exhaled and studied the walls.

            "This room isn't too bad," he told me. I nodded.

            "We just push the walls around in a circle, right?" I asked.

            "Yeah," said Link, beginning to push. I stopped him.

            "Link, you rest," I said. "I'll take care of this so you have all your energy for the boss battle."

            "Thank you, Sheik," he said gratefully, sitting down on the ground and removing his pack. I began to push on the wall as he rested, solving the puzzle of the chests and spiders. Finally, the door to the boss battle was clear and open. I walked over to Link and looked down at him.

            "You ready?" I asked him. He nodded and stood, brushing himself off and pulling on his pack. 

            "Sheik, you stay here," he told me. I nodded.

            "I know. In a major battle, I'll only be a liability. Don't worry. I'll stay here. Good luck, Hero," I said do him. He nodded.

            "Thanks, Sheik," he told me, and walked towards the boss arena with his head held high. He unlocked the chains covering the door, entered, and then I was alone.

            "Oh, Link," I mumbled, taking off my turban and raking my hands through my short blonde hair. Tears welled behind my eyes, making them redder than ever as I stared at the door to the boss chamber. I took a shuddering gasp and began to sob.

            "Why?" I wailed. "Why do I always have to hide behind masks?" I drew Link's journal out from my small side bag, and threw it down upon the ground, glaring at it.

            "A thousand curses upon this evil realm," I said vehemently. "Were it not for this cursed land, I wouldn't have three faces, but one!"

Feeling the hot tears coursing down my face, in a desperate search for comfort, I recounted a prayer Impa had taught me long ago. "One for the family who I so love, two for the dead in the stars above. Three for the land where my life did start, four for the man who I've given my heart." I began to relax. "Five prayers I send to the goddesses above, for myself, my family, the stars, land, and love."

I slumped down, drained, but warmed.

"Three faces," I mumbled, studying the back of my left hand, which was bound to conceal the mark of the Triforce. "Just like three triangles…"

"Yes," I heard the Triforce of wisdom speaking to my mind. "The three holy triangles. Alone they are strong, united they are beautiful and unstoppable. Like your three faces."

"The face of the thief," I mumbled, tilting my head back and staring at the sky. "The 'Masked Mystique', goddesses how I hate that name. She stalks by night, speaking to none, taking what she knows she will need to survive.

"The face of the shadow warrior, who wields the power of words more often than the blade of strength. Mystifying and unknown, Sheik is the most helpful of the three, though he is more often than not invisible to those who are not looking for him.

"Lastly," I said, sighing, and stopped. "The princess. Widely known. Widely loved. Widely admired. She's the light of Hyrule, some say. She can wield the power of her authority like the deadliest blade; however, she prefers to dream." I sighed and buried my face in my hands. "She is the one who loves. She is the one doomed to unhappiness." I heard a loud crash come from the boss arena, and sighed.

"Link can take care of himself," I reminded myself through my worry. "Your hero and love can look after himself well." I grabbed the journal and clutched it to my chest, rocking my body back and forth for comfort. "He has proved as much," I whispered. "He's proven it a thousand times once, then a thousand times over. He's seen the unthinkable, endured the unspeakable. He deserves nothing more than my love, and I wish with all my heart to give that to him, and not hide behind a false face."

I sat there in silence for a while, listening to the rumblings going on in the boss battle, worrying so much it felt that my heart would break in two.

"I will make my own wish come true," I finally whispered when the noises began to dull. I placed my turban on my head and stood, straightening myself up. I pushed Link's journal into the bottom of my bag, and spoke to myself as a great inhuman roar came from the battle, then all was silent. "I will wait until this mess is over, and then I will reveal everything to him. My hopes, my dreams, my fears, my heart. I will give him everything- he will love me."

"Sheik?" the door to the boss battle opened. I made my way inside.

"Link," I said, giving him a good look up and down. "You're wounded."

"Yeah," he said. One of his eyes was black, thick blood was dripping down from a cut above his eyebrow, and a hole had been burnt through his right sleeve, scorching the skin raw pink. "I'm in terrible shape. You should've seen the devil, though," he snickered, inclining his head to a platform above us. I fished around in my bag and pulled out another bottle of red potion.

"Drink it," I instructed him. He nodded, uncorked it, downed the bottle, grimaced, and handed it back to me.

"Blegh," he said. "Well, come on," he told me, climbing a staircase that led to the platform. "Let's go see what the chamber of sages has in store for us."

"You go first," I said to him, indicating to the blue light in the platform. Link shook his head, smiling.

"Nah," he said to me. "We're partners. We go together."

"Partners," I said. I smiled at him lightly, and he in turn grinned. We walked over to the shining blue light and were sucked upwards, and I recall that as I looked at him floating in the blue light, I wanted nothing more than to hug him for a job well done.

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            "Good job, Link and Sheik. Thanks to you, a section of the sacred realm is pure once more. My powers will make things good once more now that you've removed Ganondorf's servant, the cork on my powers."

            "Thank you, Saria."

            "Take this medallion. I know you've received it once before, but here, it is nothing short of pure power. Keep it safe."

            "I will."

            "Sheik."

            "Yes, Sage of forest?"

            "Bear your mask with pride."

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            Link and I landed outside the forest temple. I gasped.

            "This place is beautiful," I said. The trees were no longer black and dead, but shining and bright and beautiful, an impossible color of green. Spirits wafted here and there, laughing lightly. Together, Link and I turned to face the temple. The blood was gone- it was beautifully pure and white, looking as gorgeous as the day it had been created.

            "Well," he said, looking up at the setting sun in the crystalline blue sky, the color of which I'd never seen before, "I think we should spend the night in the temple, now that it's safe."

            "Yes," I said, and together, we climbed the steps to the holiest of woodland places.

            "One down," I said to myself, "six to go."

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

_Watching the days slip by so fast  
Knowing our fate has long been cast  
Working our fingers to the bone  
Cause nobody loves you when you're gone, gone, gone, gone  
  
Coughing up feeling just for you  
To find something real to hold on to  
But there is a hole inside my heart  
Where all of my love comes pouring out  
  
You know you'll always be my man  
But grab yourself sweetness where you can  
Cause sooner or later we're gonna die  
Left to the dogs under the sky  
  
I cracked a piece of broken glass  
I cracked a piece of broken glass  
  
Coughing up feeling just for you  
To find something real to hold on to  
But there is a hole inside my heart  
Where waves of my love come tumbling out  
You say that all the good is gone  
That I have forgotten who I am  
Free as a bird  
Wild as the wind  
But somehow I cannot let you in_

_~Nobody Loves You, by Garbage_


	5. Chapter Four: Suicide

**Chapter 4: Suicide**

            Link and Sheik both looked up at the craggy mountainside. Sheik gulped visibly. Link didn't even flinch.

            "So, Hero," asked the Sheikiah slightly skittishly, "what exactly are we planning to do? After all, it seems that Ganondorf's evil has penetrated the souls of the beings here, too- we've learned that much from the Kakariko villagers." It was then noticeable that Sheik's turban had been bound down to his forehead and was stained slightly red, and Link had the beginnings of a nasty black eye. So much for buying new supplies.

            "Well…" said Link, and then looked at Sheik sideways. "We can't get another Goron tunic for me- you know, since that little imbecile stole it, so what we'll have to do is I'll put on my Goron mask and we'll warp to the temple. You'll be in charge of most of the stuff," Link said to Sheik. He nodded. Link rummaged through his bag, and looked up at Sheik.

            "You ready?" Link asked him. Sheik nodded again, and then smiled as Link pulled out the Goron mask and dusted it off, muttering. 

            "Oh, and I won't be very useful while wearing this," said Link. Sheik nodded and pulled on the Goron tunic.

            "We'll manage," said the sheikiah, yanking the red fabric over his head and allowing it to come and rest around his shoulders. Sheik looked down and yanked the sheikiah eye out from under the tunic, allowing it to rest over his clothes.

            "I look like a moron," he muttered, then looked up quickly as Link let out an unearthly scream as he pulled on the mask. Purple light surrounded him for a moment, and then there was a bright white flash.

            "Link!" Sheik yelled, diving forwards, blinded. The light disappeared and Sheik regained his vision, only to be met with…

            "Mmm-rr!" grunted the Goron in surprise upon finding himself forehead to forehead with a young Sheikiah warrior.

            "Uh? Ngh," said Sheik. "Oh." The young warrior promptly keeled over. Goron Link shook his head in amusement and tested out his tongue, seemingly chewing for a moment.

            "Aaaaaaym Yaaaink.." he grunted, and looked dissatisfied. "Aym Yink. I'm Yink. Link. I'm Link." He carefully nudged the Sheikiah. "Sheeek? Er, Sheik?"

            "Mmfersnuff…"

            "Sheik, wake up. It's me, Yink. I mean Link. Sheik…" Sheik opened one red eye, sat up and yelled.

            "AH! DON'T EAT ME!" He screamed like a little girl. Goron Link laughed. 

            "Wow, Sheik, that's probably the fllrst time I've seen you freak out yike that…. Gah… I'm Yink. Link, by Din. I'm Link!" The Goron smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his green-capped head. "I'm still having a little trouble getting uuuuused to this body," he mumbled. "When I was a kid, I could put on the mask and bam, I was uuuuused to it, but I'm kind of confuuuuused now…"

            "Link?" asked Sheik, sitting up and scratching his head. "I… oh," he said, a light going off behind his red eyes. "You're wearing that mask."

            "Yeah," Link laughed. "I think my transformation scared the memory of it out of you."

            "Well, what can I say?" Sheik shrugged sheepishly. "I'm concerned for my friends."

            "I never said that was a bad thrrring," said Link. Sheik nodded, and pulled out his harp.

            "Shall we warp, then?" he asked. Goron link grinned and pulled out his bongos. Sheik's eyes widened, but he shrugged.

            "Invert it, remember," Sheik reminded Link. Link pounded on the bongos with an incredible amount of vigor, and Sheik laughed as he played the harp. However, both were tense at the thought of what might be awaiting them in the crater of the mountain.

            Light surrounded them, and they vanished.

            "Great Nayru," whispered Sheik when they arrived in the crater. Thick black smoke was rising from everywhere, and a disgusting stench pervaded the crater- the stench of rotting flesh. The companions looked around the crater- there were a few charred corpses visible in the molten lava. Sheik shuddered.

            "Disgusting," said the sheikiah. Link nodded, his white hair flipping up and down.

            "Well, shall we gooooo in, then?" he asked, stumbling lightly over his words. "See what the temple has in stoooore?"

            "Yes, hero," said Sheik. "Oh, and Link?"

            "Yeeeeees?" he asked, grimacing.

            "Don't even talk if you don't have to, okay?" smirked Sheik. Link looked offended for a moment, and then laughed a great belly laugh that shook the crater. Sheik winced.

            "Okay, Sheeeek… er, Sheik," he said. Sheik smiled, and then indicated for Link to go in front of him, smiling lightly as he followed.

            "I'm glad I'm not the one in that mask," Sheik commented lightly under his breath as Link tried-and failed- to fit down the ladder leading into the temple.

            "Link, let me go first," said Sheik. Link stepped aside and Sheik quickly flew down the ladder, then made his way out of the way of the massive Goron. Link tumbled down the ladder and landed belly first on the ground, leaving an imprint there. Sheik snickered.

            "Like I said," said the hero, obviously massively confused, his cap askew and covering one eye, "I'm still getting used to this booooody."

            "Of course," nodded Sheik, and looked ahead.

            The fire temple.

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            "Waaait," said Link as Sheik tried to open a door. "Wroooong door. Be caaareful- the doors can juuuump out…"

            "Wha?" asked Sheik, and then leapt back agilely as the door shook and then fell forward in an attempt to squash the sheikiah.

            "Yeesh," he said, landing against Goron Link. "How unpleasant."

            "Yoooou said it," agreed Link, and cursed. "Faaaaore," he muttered. "I can't fiiiigure out how to speeeeeeeak."

            "Don't worry about it, Hero," said Sheik. "Would you do the honors?" he pointed to the door. Goron Link made his way forward with a grin on his face and punched the door into bits, revealing another door.

            "Thank you, Link," laughed Sheik, entering. Link followed, awkwardly stumbling behind the sheikiah.

            "Saaaaay, Sheik," said Link, "hooow long do you think weeee've been in heeere?"

            "I'd say about six hours," said Sheik, checking the walls. "Maybe seven. Why?"

            "Becauuuuse this mask is draaaaining me."

            "I'd give you some red potion," said Sheik, inspecting a tall platform in the center of the room, "except I'm almost out and we have to save until we defeat this temple."

            "Watch out!" yelled Link, and Sheik looked up suddenly as a great spinning… something… appeared out of the platform. Sheik leapt back as it cackled and jumped off the platform in a pyromaniacal dance.

            "Oh, curses," Sheik said, backing against the wall. "I… oh dear."

            "Throw a bomb at it," Link told Sheik. He nodded and pulled out a bomb, lit it with a flick of his wrist, counted carefully, and threw it at the strange creature's head. It exploded, and the head went running around and cackling. Without being told, Sheik pulled out the great fairy's sword and hacked at the head as many times as he could. It screamed and jumped into the fire, and the dancer appeared again.

            "Blast," muttered Sheik, and bombed it again. And again. And again… the battle wore on for what felt like forever, but finally…

            "Thank the goddesses!" Sheik exclaimed as it combusted and left red potion pills. He scooped some up and popped them into his mouth, instantly feeling better. He tossed three to Link.

            "Here," said Sheik. The Goron nodded and downed the pills, and smiled.

            "Thanks, Sheik," he said. Sheik smiled warmly.

            "Don't mention it."

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            Link and Sheik were sitting in the front room of the temple, both exhausted, staring at the door through which lay the boss chamber. They sat side by side, backs against the wall, heads turned- Sheik's long, toned legs in their blue bodysuit were stretched out before him, feet pointing to the ceiling. Link's legs were in much the same position, save for the fact that they were ridiculous little chicken-legs sticking out from under a massive body. All in all, an amusing sight.

            "I don't wanna go in just yet," panted Sheik, eyeing the door through which certain fire-y things lay in ambush. "Do you?"

            "No," said Link, having long since been used to his Goron body. He wiped his rocky forehead. "Egads," he groaned, "this body is sweltering…"

            "My apologies," Sheik said, wishing he had the energy to summon a magical ice block for them both. But it was just so hot…

            "Well," he said, panting, standing up, "I suppose we need to go fight the queen dragon herself?"

            "Yeah," panted Link, trying to stand up, and failing. Sheik laughed.

            "Come on," he said. "I'd pull you up, except I think you're a little too heavy for me."

            "Probably," laughed Link, making the floor rattle a little. He hauled his giant mass to his little chicken feet and dusted himself off, shaking his head and smiling.

            "Come on, Sheik," he said. "Let's go kick some dragon butt."

            We entered the magma room and hopped across the giant pillar we had pounded down earlier, then made our way to the boss door.

            "You have the megaton hammer ready, right?" Link asked Sheik. The sheikiah nodded.

            "I've got it." He unlocked the door to the boss chamber, allowing it to slide open.

            "Don't worry," he whispered. "Just dodge the rocks when she gets mad."

            "Rocks?" Sheik asked, but the door slid shut with a loud clank.  Link stood next to him, and the ground began to rumble. Both ran forward as the rocks below their feet gave way. The ground rumbled more, and a gigantic, ugly dragon sprang from one of the lava pits, whirled through the air screaming, and plunged into the ground. Sheik regained his senses and began to roughly attack the dragon- Link pitched in, but mostly, it was the sheikiah warrior who was in control of the battle.

            "Hyah!" Sheik yelled, smashing into Volvagia's skull with the megaton hammer. The dragon screamed and rose into the sky, dropping burning hot rocks upon the two heroes. A particularly large boulder grazed the side of the warrior's head, making him dizzy. He shook it off, though, and Link watched with pride, almost, as the warrior continued on. A Goron was of little help in this battle- it was up to Link's friend. Link sat back on one edge of the platform where he knew he would not be hurt, and speculated.

            'Who exactly is Sheik?' Link wondered. 'He's my friend, but I think that the man behind the mask is not the same as the Sheik that I know.' "Sheik, to your right!" Link yelled. Sheik looked over his right shoulder and jumped aside just in time to avoid a stream of deadly flames. Link continued into his thoughts as Sheik repeatedly impaled the poor dragon in the head with the large hammer. 

            'Sometimes, there's this look in his eyes… I can't identify what it is. It's strange. And sometimes, his eyes seem almost like… I don't know. Like her eyes.' "Left!" 'But how could that be possible?'

            "Link, you know, a hand or two wouldn't hurt," Sheik grunted, using the handle of the hammer to press back Volvagia's head as she tried to snap his head off. The great dragon inhaled, and Sheik rolled to the side as she let out a burst of flame.

            "Nonsense," called the Goron-version of everybody's favorite hero. "You're doing just fine by yourself."

            "I'd like to see you do this," grunted Sheik, roughly swinging the hammer into the dragon's spine. Link let out a great Goron laugh.

            "I would," he said, "except you have my tunic."

            "Yeah, well," puffed Sheik, rolling to the side and smashing the dragon again. She let out an unearthly scream and rose into the sky, rolling and twisting in pain. She combusted and sank to the ground, her skull falling last and crumbling away. "About time," he said, wiping a nasty cut on his forehead. Link stood up.

            "Good job, Sheik," he said as the Sheikiah grasped the heart container. He held it to Link, but the Goron shook his head.

            "You did most of the work," said Link. "You take it."

            "Thank you, Link," said Sheik, moving it towards his chest. It vanished, and he instantly looked much better.

            "Well," said Sheik, looking to the portal, "shall we go get that fire medallion?"

            "We shall," said Link, and together, the friends stepped into the portal.

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            "Brother! You're in a Goron."

            "Actually, Darunia, it's just a mask."

            "It's a very nice mask, if you ask me."

            "Thank you."

            "Well done, Sheik!"

            "Thank you. I wouldn't have managed anything if it weren't for Link here."

            "Oh, that's not true. You would have done just fine without me."

            "I'm sure my brother helped you out. Take this medallion, you two. Keep it safe, too. I have the feeling you'll need it."

            "Thank you, Darunia."

            "Thank you, Brother."

            "Feel free to spend the night in Kakariko, boys. My power has set the spirits of these people good again. Don't worry. And brother, I'm sure you'll get your tunic back."

            "I'm sure, brother."

            "Thank you, Darunia."

            "Thank you both."

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            "Thank GOD I'm out of that mask," said Link, wrenching the mask off his face with a flash of light. He removed his cap and raked his hands through his sweaty hair. Link and Sheik stood in the center of Goron City- Sheik had removed the Goron tunic. The sheikiah shook his head and put his hand out.

            "Can I try on the mask?" he asked. Link smiled and shook his head.

            "After all this mess is over. Come on, Sheik," he said. "Let's go get a celebration drink!"

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            Sheik looked up as the Goron set two tankards of mead in front of Link and Sheik.

            "Watch out," said Link, pointing at the large tankard with one gauntleted hand. 

            "Why?" Sheik asked. Link shook his head with a smile.

            "It's strong," Link warned.

            "Thank you," said Sheik, shrugging. Link got up and excused himself, saying something about the bathroom. Sheik shrugged again and took a cautious sip.

            "Egads!" he coughed. "That IS strong."  Sheik took a few more cautious sips again, looking up in relief when Link entered again and sat down merrily at the table. Suddenly, a tavern wench came over to them- Sheik noted how her eyes lingered on Link's muscular arms and tanned face. A smile spread over her bright red lips and she leaned forward, careful to expose her cleavage to the hero as she handed them to menus of sorts. Sheik inwardly fumed, the princess within screaming 'get your eyes off of my hero.' The sheikiah was careful not to sigh, but inwardly, the princess jumped for joy at Link's total lack of interest in the wench. Sheik made extra careful to give the wench the scariest glare possible when she turned to look at the sheikiah. The wench jumped up and left, giving Sheik the "scared bunny look". It was all the sheikiah could do to keep from letting out a hoarse laugh- instead, he took a huge gulp of mead.

            "Woah there!" said Link to Sheik as he finished off the gigantic tankard. "No need to be so hasty, Sheik."

            "What're Hylians doing in Goron City?" Sheik coughed, wiping his mouth. Link shrugged. 

            "She's the only one I've seen, though." Sheik pulled his face covering up higher in response to Link's statement. 

            "You don't need to wear that, you know," said Link. "Not in here." His blue eyes implored Sheik's, who only shrugged.

            "It gives me a sense of security," said the warrior. "I don't like people seeing my face."

            "Why?" Link asked, brows furrowed as Sheik hailed the Goron, took another mead, and downed most of it in one gulp. Sheik shrugged.

            "It helps me to go unnoticed. I've been trained to know the shadows, to be the shadows. Hiding in the dark isn't so difficult when people don't bother to look anyway."

            "Hm," said Link, the words obviously impacting him. Sheik smiled lightly behind his mask.

            "Maybe I will walk around someday without this mask. But as long as there are dark days, I lurk in shadow."

            "You're way too smart, Sheik," said Link, shaking his head. Sheik laughed lightly.

            "Not smart, Hero. Just wise. There's a difference. Anyway," said the sheikiah, leaning towards Link, "to change the subject. I noticed you completely avoided that tavern wench's blatant moves on you." Sheik got another mead. Link's eyes widened, but he didn't comment thanks to the red-eyes glare he received from Sheik.

            "Ugh, yes," grimaced Link, making a face as he sipped at his unnaturally strong tankard. "I hate it when women do that."

            "What?" asked Sheik, almost bitterly. "Hate it when women throw themselves at you? I'd think that one such as yourself would like that."

            "What's your problem, Sheik?" asked Link, giving the sheikiah a strange look. "I think you've had too much mead."

            "Nothing," grumbled Sheik, sinking his face into his collar. "I'm fine… you go ahead and stay and finish your drink. I'm going to your house. We can stay a while there."

            "Um, okay…" said Link, obviously confused by his friend's behavior. "Sheik? Sheik, something wrong?"

            But the sheikiah had left.

            "Where'd your little friend go?" asked the voluptuous tavern wench, pouting at Link. "That wasn't very nice of him."

            "Get me another mead," said Link unhappily. "Just do it." She sighed, shook her head, rolled her eyes, and left to get the confused and hurt hero a drink.

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            "Blasted hero!" slurred Zelda vehemently after warping to the sacred forest meadow and stumbling drunkenly to the village to the village through the woods, slamming the door to Link's tree home. She looked around, fuming, and ripped down the collar she wore, still disguised as Sheik. She shredded off the tight blue body suit she was clad in, sending blue scraps everywhere. Sobbing, the princess collapsed on a simple sofa in the middle of Link's home, beating her fists weakly against the pillows.

            "Turn me back, by the goddesses," she wailed, tears streaming from her red eyes. "Just for now."

            A flash of light surrounded her and she was in her own body again, half naked and clad in tight blue scraps. Her naked breasts pushed against the couch, and she shivered, covering her suddenly womanly form.

            "Why, why?" she wept, pulling at fistfuls of her hair that hung down into her face. "Why do I have to live like this?"

            Zelda stood, her face covered in tears, and dragged herself to Link's bedroom. She pulled out some of Link's tunics and threw them everywhere, then stripped off the rest of her pathetically shredded clothing and sat, naked in the middle of the floor, hating life. 

            "Take away my pain, take away my pain," she chanted to herself, over and over, scratching at her arms. "Take away my pain, take away my pain…"

            It appeared that the princess of Hyrule had no less than gone mad. Thick red blood began to pour down her arms, staining the wooden floor. She got up and staggered around the house, not caring about the mess she made. She destroyed pillows and blankets, threw glass objects, wrecked anything and everything she could. Blood stained the floors, and finally, Zelda dragged herself back to Link's room, sitting down inside the dresser, crying.

            "Goddesses, just kill me now," she wept. "Take me from this land. He doesn't love me… he doesn't love me…" she wept and smashed her head against the side of the dresser over and over. "He hates me. He doesn't want me…"

            She didn't even notice as she transformed into Sheik once more as she continued ramming her head against the dresser and sobbing. Eventually, the tormented princess fell into grateful blackness, as more and more blood pooled around her body.

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:. 

            Link entered his house that night still puzzling over Sheik's odd behavior. What had gotten in to him at the tavern? As he shut the door, the house flared to light- magic that the Kokiri cast upon his home. Link looked around and gasped. Blood and shreds of blue fabric were scattered all throughout the house, which had been completely destroyed. Link placed his hand on the floor, over the blood. Dry. Concern for his friend taking over his every thought, he followed the trails throughout the house in a circle.

            "Sheik?" he yelled, panicked. "Sheik!" He reached his bedroom door and found it ajar; entered the room, and saw more blue scraps everywhere. There was a pool of drying blood spread across the floor, leaking from the dresser. Link dashed over to it and yanked the door open.

            "Sheik?" he asked, trembling, near tears in worry for his friend. Sheik was lying 

with his head against the side of the dresser- blood surrounded where he had apparently struck it, and a dribble was drying, coming down from his hairline.

            "Sh-sheik?" Link quaked, pulling his friend out from within the dresser. "Gods, Sheik…" he began to shudder, carefully touching Sheik's head. He looked down at Sheik's arms- through the drying blood, long, deep scratches were evident running up and down the warrior's arms. Self- inflicted scratches.

            "Oh, goddesses," said Link, tears pouring down his cheeks. He fumbled for a pulse at the warrior's neck. Finding one, he exhaled deeply.

            "Good, still alive," Link shuddered. "I- I need to do something." Link fumbled for a bottle of red potion in his own bag- though Sheik insisted on carrying most, Link knew it never hurt to keep extras on hand. He fumbled the bottle open and poured the red potion down Sheik's throat, tilting his head so that he didn't miss a drop. The sheikiah didn't move. Link pulled out another bottle, then had a sudden idea. He pulled out a simple Kokiri tunic and put it over Sheik to hide his nakedness, then slung both packs over his shoulder. He picked up Sheik and slung him carefully over his shoulder as well, and played the inverted minuet of forest with one hand. They were swept off to the sacred forest meadow, and Link ran as carefully as he could, Sheik in both arms, towards the fairy's fountain. Adrenaline fueling his body, he scaled the ladder, then dropped in the hole, landing carefully so as not to disturb the injured sheikiah. Immediately, the fairies swarmed forward, sensing Sheik's nearness to death. They began to surround the warrior, swirling around him and working their healing magic as best they could.  

            "Don't worry, hero of time," squeaked one fairy to him as they carried Sheik to the center of the fountain. "We'll heal him. He's so close to departing, though, that even our power will not be enough to completely rejuvenate him. He'll need rest, but don't worry- he'll be fine."

            "I… he'd better be…" said Link, slumping against the wall as his adrenaline rush died and the shock wore off. He began to cry, unashamed of his tears. He buried his head in his hands, tears rolling down his face. What had inspired Sheik to do what he had done? A small, stunning, beautiful red fairy floated over towards Link. The hero wondered why he'd failed to recognize it before… it was larger than the other fairies, and a bright red through the white. One of its wings was slightly crippled- however,, the small fairy stayed afloat, and glided over towards Link.

            "I'm sorry, Hero of time," said the fairy, sitting on Link's shoulder. He looked at the fairy.

            "Thank you. I… I don't know why he did it. It doesn't make sense…" there was a curtain of light fairies surrounding the sheikiah, obscuring him from view. The fairy glanced over towards the curtain of healing fairies, then back at the stricken hero.

            "The masked one is going through uncertainties right now," said the fairy. "Your friend is not at all as they appear."

            "What does that mean?" Link asked. The fairy shook side to side, and Link supposed that was its body language for saying "no".

            "You will learn on your own time. But for now, Hero, I will accompany you. Assuming, of course, that it is alright with you…"

            "Of course," said Link. He looked at the curtain of fairies still swarming around Link. "I wouldn't mind a fairy at all. Though…" he said, and looked at Sheik, "I suppose it would be better if you stayed with Sheik and not me." The fairy shook side to side vigorously.

            "No," it said. "Your friend already has a guide that lights the way for them. They just have yet to reveal it to you- or to themselves, matter of fact," said the fairy. "Time will tell. But for now, I will stay with you both."

            "What's your name?"

            "Toyl," said the fairy.

            "Why are you… different?" asked Link, feeling bad. Toyl tinkled a little- laughing.

            "I'm a mutation," she said. "You see how the other fairies are pink? I'm red. A freak of nature, I suppose, but nobody else really cares. If you look carefully, you'll notice that the healing fairies are pink, but the Kokiri fairies are blue and the regular forest fairies are green."

            "Oh," said Link. The little fairy came and landed on the hero's knee, sending warmth through his breeches to his leg. Link smiled lightly- the warmth of a fairy was always comforting to him. 

            "So," said the little fairy. "Just how much do you know about that friend of yours… Sheik, as you said?"

            "Sheik is very secretive about his past," said Link. "I don't really blame him, though. His mother is a sheikiah woman by the name of Impa- she's the sage of shadow. I don't know about his father. I think Sheik has had a rough time, though," said Link, shrugging. "He can be kind of quiet sometimes."

            "Hm," said the little fairy, apparently thinking. "Many masks hide your friend's face. I think that they themselves are not aware of which face is actually theirs."

            "What's that mean?" Link asked. The little fairy shook side to side, and then hopped into the air.

            "I'm going to go check on how much longer it will take," said Toyl, leaving a very confused hero sitting against the wall. He watched as the little red fairy disappeared into the wall of shimmering pink fairies, then reappeared sometime later.

            "It will take a while," said the little fairy. Link nodded. "Settle down. It'll be a long wait."

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            "No, you have to leave for a bit, Link."

            "I'm not leaving Sheik."

            "Sheik would want you to leave."

            "How do you know?"

            "Link, please, just do it?"

            "Fine, Toyl, fine."

            _Steps. Silence, except for a light, sparkling hum._

            "Princess? Princess Zelda?"

            "How…" Zelda groaned, swimming slowly into consciousness. She opened her eyes and put her hand to her forehead. There was pink swirling all around her. "Goddesses…"

            "Look at your form," came the voice- a light voice. The voice of a fairy. Zelda studied her hand. It was Zelda's hand. Not Sheik.

            "Link!" she yelled suddenly, sitting up, her hair swirling over her shoulder and down over her chest.

            "Calm down, princess," said the fairy- a bright red fairy sitting on her knee. "We sent him away."

            "We?" asked Zelda, then looked around at the many other fairies floating about her. "Oh. Why… how… he doesn't know, does he?" Zelda asked, then suddenly a memory came to mind.

            "Oh, goddesses…" she murmured, looking down at her arms. Pink scratch marks stood out vibrantly on the skin of her arms. "I…"

            "You lost control," said the fairy sympathetically. "Your heartstrings snapped. I've seen it happen before. Don't worry, princess- at least your hero found you in time."

            "Was I…." Zelda glanced down at her green-clad, very womanly body. The fairy laughed.

            "No, you'd changed back into Sheik by the time he found you, half-dead from blood loss. Amazing, really."

            "Oh…" said Zelda. "I… I'm sorry if I've caused you any trouble…"

            The fairies around her quivered.

            "Nonsense," said one small, pink fairy. "We're just glad that we helped."

            "I'm glad you did, too," said Zelda.

            "So, princess," said the raid fairy, "do you know what happened that caused you to snap?"

            "Oh, it's just," said Zelda, tears springing to her eyes, "I always have to hide in the body of Sheik so that nobody recognizes me. I can't reveal myself to Link- he'd reject me, or he wouldn't allow me to help him, or things would get weird… and whether he admits it or not, he needs my help. So I have to disguise my face from him- hide who I really am. And… and, I hate it!" Zelda ended this statement by slamming her fist in the iridescent water she was sitting in, then rolled over, Link's tunic soaking and clinging to her slim, beautiful form.

            "Look into the water, princess," said the red fairy, and the other fairies floated up to the ceiling. "Tell me what you see."

            "I see…" said Zelda, peering into the ripples below her, "a woman. She's lovely- she has curling blonde hair and bright blue eyes…" Zelda turned her eyes up to the fairy.

            "This is as Link perceives you," said the fairy. "Subconsciously, of course. This is how Link perceives the princess Zelda as."

            "I…. oh…" said Zelda, looking down at her hands.

            "Do not worry, highness," said the little fairy. "Your time will come. Link's heart is filled with love for you, that much we can see. He just doesn't know it yet. Give him time, princess. There will come a time for love, but for now, use the energy generated from keeping your feelings confined in battle."

            "I will," said Zelda, nodding. "Thank you… er…."

            "Toyl," said the little red fairy. "I'm going to be traveling with you two."

            "Oh," said Zelda, nodding. "Thank you, Toyl."

            "No worries," said the little fairy, then flew up to Zelda and nestled into her neck. "Come on. Why don't you put on that lovely Sheikiah body and go out and greet your hero. Tell him you're okay. Say you're sorry. He won't ask questions, I'm sure," said the little fairy. Zelda smiled.

            "Thank you again, Toyl," said the princess. She then concentrated, willing the goddesses to put her back in the body of a Sheikiah. Warmth engulfed her, and when she looked down, she was disguised as Sheik once more. She pulled the tunic down uncomfortably, aware of how ridiculous she looked.  Even Toyl gave a little giggle.

            "Come on," she said. "Let's go find your hero."

            "Mm," yawned Zelda. "I'm tired, though…"

            "Understandable," said the little fairy. "You still need a lot of rest to recuperate."

            "Yeah," agreed the princess-in-disguise, and made her way to the exit of the hidden fountain. She turned around and waved to the fairies.

            "Thank you!" she called to them.  They tinkled merrily in response. Zelda stepped onto the small magical portal leading out of the hole, and was transported into the light of the forest day.

            "Sheik!" yelled Link, running forward and catching his friend up in a huge hug. "I was so worried…"

            "Eh," choked Zelda. Link's hold loosened immediately.

            "Oh, I'm really sorry," he worried. "Did I hurt you?"

            "Let's just get back to the house," Zelda said, heart overflowing with love for Link. The hero nodded, then peered at Zelda's face.

            "You know, Sheik," he said, "this has to be the first time I've ever really seen your face."

            "Oh, ah…" Said Zelda, "well…" Link smiled at her stutters and shrugged.

            "Just noticing," he said. He looked at Zelda, and then to Toyl. "Come on," he said to them both, and led them through the woods towards the Kokiri village.. 

            "Link?" she mumbled exhaustedly. Link looked down with a fond smile at his companion. "Thank you."

            "No problem," he said, carrying the half-asleep form of his friend through the village and up to his tree house. Link noticed that, for the first time, Sheik's hands were unbound. And, on the back of Sheik's left hand, he saw something that sent curiosity mixed with fear surging through his veins.

            The symbol for the Triforce.

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

_Oh yeah  
Mm  
Still don't know what I was waiting for  
And my time was running wild  
A million dead-end streets and  
Every time I thought I'd got it made  
It seemed the taste was not so sweet  
So I turned myself to face me  
But I've never caught a glimpse  
Of how the others must see the faker  
I'm much too fast to take that test  
  
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes  
(turn and face the strain)  
Ch-ch-changes  
Don't want to be a richer man  
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes  
(turn and face the strain)  
Ch-ch-changes  
Just gonna have to be a different man  
Time may change me  
But I can't trace time  
  
I watch the ripples change their size  
But never leave the stream  
Of warm impermanence  
So the days float through my eyes  
But stil the days seem the same  
And these children that you spit on  
As they try to change their worlds  
Are immune to your consultations  
They're quite aware of what they're going through  
  
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes  
(turn and face the strain)  
Ch-ch-changes  
Don't tell them to grow up and out of it  
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes  
(turn and face the strain)  
Ch-ch-changes  
Where's your shame  
You've left us up to our necks in it  
Time may change me  
But you can't trace time  
  
Strange fascination, fascinating me  
Ah changes are taking the pace I'm going through  
  
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes  
(turn and face the strain)  
Ch-ch-changes  
Oh, look out you rock 'n rollers  
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes  
(turn and face the strain)  
Ch-ch-changes  
Pretty soon now you're gonna get a little older  
Time may change me  
But I can't trace time  
I said that time may change me  
But I can't trace time_

_~Changes, by David Bowie_


	6. Chapter Five: Because That's What Love I...

**Chapter five: Because That's What Love Is**

            "Sheik?"

            "Mm?" asked the Sheikiah, rolling over in Link's couch-like bed. The hero himself was sitting on the floor of the dresser, trying to remove the blood from the wooden walls.

            "Why?" Link asked, looking up at his friend.

            "I don't know, Link," Sheik responded softly, his red eyes full of confusion. Link sighed.

            "You really scared me, you know?" Link said.

            "I'm sorry, hero," said Sheik.

            "You know," said Link, "other than Darunia, Saria, and Malon, you're my only friend. Oh, and the princess, if she even remembers me."

            Sheik coughed.

            "I'm sure she remembers you, highness."

            "It's been so long since I last saw her," said Link, his eyes glazing over at the thought of the beauty she must have become. "I wonder what she's like now."

            Sheik coughed again.

            "Something wrong, Sheik?" Link asked his friend.

            "No, nothing," said Sheik, thoughtfully scratching the back of his left hand, which he had bound once more. Link remembered those three triangles scratched upon it… maybe all sheikias had the Triforce cut into their hands from some ritualistic tradition? Link turned it over in his head, thoughtfully rubbing his own Triforce, his thumb tracing over the lines of the triangle through the leather of his gauntlet.

            "Link?"

            "Yes Sheik?" asked the hero suddenly, looking up. Sheik yawned and snuggled back into the covers of the hero's bed.

            "I'd like to get some rest now."

            "Oh, right," said Link, standing up rather abruptly and smashing his head on the top of the dresser. Mumbling curses and rubbing his head, he exited the dresser and closed the doors, admiring his handiwork when looking at the floor- there was no sign of Sheik's suicide attempt whatsoever. "Do you want me to wake you up for dinner if you're still asleep?" Link asked him. Sheik shook his head.

            "I'll be fine if I miss it." 

            "If you're sure," said Link, and exited the room. He walked down the hall, devoid of blood, to the kitchen, where Toyl was floating about merrily, inspecting everything.

            "You know," she said, "I never thought to see a real kitchen."

            "Oh?" asked Link, raising one eyebrow. The fairy nodded enthusiastically, floating carefully past some knives hanging on the wall.

            "Say," she said. "Can you cook?"

            "A little," said Link, looking around the kitchen. A loaf of bread, a bottle of milk. He sighed and walked out of the kitchen, grabbing his longbow and heading towards the door.

            "Hey, wait!" squeaked Toyl. "Where are you going?"

            "To catch some dinner," said Link, and with that, he set out for the lost woods. Toyl shook her head (that is, to say, her body, since her head really was her entire body) and floated off to Sheik's room.

            "How're you feeling, princess?" asked the little fairy, entering. Zelda was curled up on her side, still in her sheikiah body, choppy golden hair framing her face.

            "Mm," she said. "I'm tired."

            "I'm sorry, princess," said Toyl. "I'll not disturb you."

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            A week later found Sheik fully healed and clad in his backup "sheikiah uniform", and the trio ready to set off on their next adventure.

            "The water temple," said Sheik as Link loaded various items he had scattered across the house into his bag. "The temple under Lake Hylia."

            "It must be wet," said Toyl disdainfully.

            "Not too bad," said Link. Toyl shrugged.

            "I'm not good with wet."

            "Don't worry, Toyl," said Sheik. "I don't much like water, either, so we'll have to suffer together."

            "You don't like water?" Link asked Sheik, turning to face him. A few strands of shining blond hair fell into the hero's clear blue eyes, making him near totally irresistible.

            "Not very much," grumbled Sheik, rubbing his upper arm in shame. "I had a few unhappy experiences with it," said the sheikiah. Link smiled.

            "You'll be fine. I'll take care of you."

            "Yeah?" asked Sheik. Link grinned, bopping Sheik lightly on top of his turbaned head.

            "You bet."

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            "Great Din! The lake's nearly dry!" exclaimed Toyl. Sheik shrugged.

            "I assume you hardly got out, Toyl?"

            "Hardly," said the little fairy. Link rummaged through his bag for his Zora mask.

            "Toyl, if you hate the water that much, you can stay in my bag when we're underwater," said Sheik. "It's totally waterproof."

            "As is mine," sad Link, his arm immersed up to the shoulder in a seemingly tiny bag. It was very confusing to look at. "Aha!"

            "What's that?" Toyl asked.

            "A mask," said Link triumphantly. "It'll turn me into a Zora, since I lost my other Zora tunic.."

            "You've lost more than a tunic if you ask me," muttered the little red fairy under her breath. Sheik snickered, pulling on the Zora tunic Link had given him the day they .

            "Alright," Link said with a cringe, pulling the mask up to his face. "Here goes." The surface of the mask touched his face and he let out a piercing scream as he transformed, causing Toyl to fly close to Sheik in fear. There was a great flash of light, and Zora Link was standing before their eyes.

            "AH!" yelled Toyl. "It's a giant fish!"

            "Calm down, Toyl," said Sheik, petting the small fairy. "It's Link, see?"

            "Oh…." Said Toyl, venturing to look at the beautiful male Zora standing before her, his scales rippling with pride.

            "Hero," said Sheik, "I must say that that's a very impressive mask you've got there- much better than that Goron mask that made you look like rock boy."

            "Youflatterme-yik," babbled the fish, then looked unhappy, and chewed on his tongue for a moment. "Sorry, Sheilik, but I needtoget used to this bodiyyik."

            "It's fine," said Sheik, smiling at the mispronunciation of his name… Sheilik. It was cute, almost like a pet name. The warrior shook it off. 

            "To the temple, then?" Sheik asked, rummaging in his bag for the metal boots. The Zora nodded, and dove gracefully into the water. Sheik took a moment to admire the beautiful way the hero of time moved through the water, scales rippling with light. He shook it off. Toyl zoomed into Sheik's bag and looked knowingly up at the sheikiah.

            "Not much longer," the little fairy whispered, and Sheik nodded.

            "I know."

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            "What now?" Sheik asked, staring up at a blue seal of an upside-down Triforce on the wall. Link concentrated for a moment, remembering.

            "We play Zelda's lullaby," said the Zora version of the Hero of Time. He pulled out his guitar, and then looked at Sheik.

            "Would you like me to do the honors?" asked the Zora. Sheik shrugged.

            "Go right ahead."

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            "A whirlpool," said Sheik bitterly, looking out at the swirling water below him. "I hate whirlpools."

            "Well," said Zora Link, looking at his friend, "we have to go in."

            "Ick," shivered Sheik. Zora Link patted Sheik sympathetically on the shoulder for a moment, then dove into the water. Sheik shivered, and looked down at the little fairy in his bag.

            "Don't worry," said Toyl. "Link promised to take care of you."

            "I know," said Sheik, and carefully pulled the bag shut to keep the water out. "I know." He dove into the water.

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            "I think we go this way," said Link, looking at the dungeon map and then down a murky hole.

            "You mean to say," said Sheik, tugging unhappily at his Zora tunic and speaking through the water, "that we," he pointed at himself and Zora Link, "are going down there?" He pointed at the hole and shuddered. "I'm just loving this temple."

            "Well, I don't suppose you have another solution," said Zora Link, his fins flashing in the murky half-light filling the water.

            "Yeah. Forget the hole and just go after the boss."

            "We can't!" said Link. "We have to do all of this to get to the stupid amoeba! If you want to quit, go back to Hyrule and sleep in your little bed all safe and sound, fine by me. I can defeat this temple alone," the Zora growled. Sheik opened his mouth in disbelief at Link's violent outburst.

            "You're really being a prick, you know?" yelled Sheik through the water. "Here I am trying to squash my fears to help the almighty hero of time, and you're yelling at me like I'm being a baby? Think of something you fear, Link, something you're terrified of, and multiply it by a hundred and be stuck in the middle of it, and you have my situation. So just shut up you stupid, you arrogant…" Sheik ran out of words- no insult in the tongues of Zoran, Goronic, Gerudo, Sheikian, or the many tongues of elves could match his fury at the hero.

            "Sheik…" began Link, apologetically. "I'm sorry."

            "Yeah?" said Sheik bitterly. "Well put yourself in my shoes next time." And he stomped away, his metal boots making muted clanging noises through the water.

            Zora Link looked after his friend and then shook his head and walked forward, disappearing into the murky hole below.

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            Sheik sat fuming on a gravestone on the island above the temple.

            "Stupid hero," he muttered, smashing his fist against the letters devoted to someone long gone.

            "He's stressed out," squeaked Toyl, floating around Sheik's head. The sheikiah flopped down roughly onto the grass, staring at the cloudy- almost black- sky above.

            "We're both stressed," said Sheik through gritted teeth. "That doesn't give him a right to be a jerk."

            "But still," said Toyl. "You should forgive him."

            "I know," said Sheik, rolling over so that he was facedown on the grass. "And I have. But still, it's just…"

            "I understand," said Toyl. "You're worried."

            "Yes," grumbled Sheik. "I love that stupid boy way too much for both our sakes."

            "Maybe that's a good thing, though," offered Toyl, snuggling up to the Sheikiah's neck. 

            "Maybe," said Sheik with a sigh, then stood up, cupping a bound hand over the fairy.

            "Thanks, Toyl. Let's go check up on stupid Link and see if he needs help."

            "Alright," she said, flying into Sheik's waterproof bag. "We ladies have to stick together!" giggled the little fairy from within. "Make sure the men don't do anything stupid."

            "Indeed," smiled Sheik. "A difficult task, if anything."

            "I agree," said Toyl, and laughed. "Princess, go amend things with your hero."

            "I will," said Sheik, pulling on the iron boots, and diving into the water. "My knight in shining armor."

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            Zora Link removed his cap and wiped the sweat from his face with it, glancing up at the giant, four faced clock tower in the center of the temple.

            "Sheik," he muttered, frowning, "what's with you today? Moreover, what's with me?" He placed his hat back on his head and rubbed his eyes, frowning. "I don't get it." Unfortunately, the poor hero was so caught up in his thoughts that he failed to hear the telltale "shwump, shwump, shwump," until…

            "AH!" Yelled the Zora as he was roughly forced down to the ground by a very-hungry looking blue tektite. His fins were pinned uselessly down, and Link was quite sure that it was the end, until he heard a very familiar sound in the air…

            _Whoosh, thunk.___

            The tektite squirted blue blood and reeled backwards, writhing and screaming in pain. Link saw an arrow protruding from its back and looked up at the entrance.

            "Sheik," he murmured as the Sheikiah saluted him and fired another arrow at the spider, killing it instantly. It combusted, and Link took the health hearts it left in the flames' wake.

            "Honestly, Hero," said the sheikiah, hopping down to where he was. "I leave you alone for five minutes, and you nearly get yourself eaten alive by a spider?" Link saw that the sheikiah was smiling, and grinned as well.

            "I owe you one, Sheik," said Link. Sheik, smiling as well, hopped down from the ledge and swam through the water (Link noticed the warrior stiffen lightly as he touched the water) and then hauled himself up onto the platform.

            "Sheik," said Link apologetically, "I really am sorry."

            "It's okay, Link," said Sheik. "We're both stressed out."

            "Yeah," mumbled Link, and caught Sheik up in a manly hug. "Still, though. I'm sorry."

            "It's fine, don't worry about it," said Sheik, reveling in the hug (unbeknownst to our hero).

            "Well," said the Zora, letting go of Sheik and turning to face the entrance to the boss chamber, "shall we go kick some Morpha butt?"

            "You bet," grinned Sheik. Both warriors produced hookshots from their bags. Sheik looked down into his own.

            "Toyl, we're going to need your help during this battle, okay?"

            "Alright," said the little fairy, floating out. Link smiled lightly.

            _I wonder what binds them together so well? _Link wondered to himself. _She's my partner, but she seems so close to Sheik…_

Shaking it off, Link aimed carefully for the target and with a thunk, clank clank clank, he had pulled himself up onto the platform. Sheik followed, Toyl zooming around the warrior's head, then floating over to Link.

            "So partner," said the little fairy, alighting on Link's shoulder, "what exactly will we be fighting?"

            "An overgrown amoeba," mumbled the Zora. "A very vile one, too."

            "Hm," said Sheik. "Well, what if we hit it with ice arrows, then fire arrows? How do you think that would work?"

            "That might do the trick," said Link. "It's a horrible battle. Watch out for the spikes on the walls, Sheik. They're deadly."

            "Gotcha," said Sheik, and Link produced the boss key.

            "Well, here goes," said the hero of time, opening the door. "After you," he said, smiling, to Sheik.

            "Alright," said Sheik, stepping forward. Toyl was still sitting on Link's shoulder, and was getting up to fly over to the sheikiah when…

            SLAM.

            "Link!" yelled Sheik. Link pressed his streamlined body against the door, beating at it with his fists, his fins making strange clanking noise as they hit the stone.

            "Sheik! Are you okay? Can you hear me?" Link yelled, slamming his body against the door.

            "I'm fine. The door just slammed shut. There's not anything in here, Link. Just…"

            "Sheik! Just what?" Link yelled.

            "Faore save us," he heard Sheik mumble. He then heard a very loud yell, the splash of water, and then silence.

            "SHEIK!" Link yelled, slamming his fists against the door. "SHEIK!"

            "It's no use," said Toyl. "Try opening the door. You won't be able to beat it down." Link pushed the door, pulled at the door, even bombed it, but to no avail.

            "Back up, Toyl," Link growled ferociously.

            "Why?" asked the little fairy. Link's pointed Zora teeth were bared as he said "just do it." The fairy complied.

            "Where is it," Link growled ferociously, digging through his bag, then gave a loud "aha." He pulled out a ferocious looking pale mask, an exact replica of Link's face, except…

            "Link, what is that?" Toyl asked him worriedly as he pulled off one mask.

            "Don't ask questions," he growled in his Hylian body. "We have to get Sheik out of there. He can't beat Morpha on his own." He pulled on the second mask and let forth a blood curdling scream, as usual. There was a flash, and then…

            "By Din," muttered the fairy, looking at the very angry, very dangerous, VERY sexy warrior-god standing in front of her.

            "HYA!" Boomed the deity, slamming his fist into the door, reducing it to mere rubble. Toyl floated back a few feet, utterly afraid of the warrior (though deep in her mind, she noted that the poor princess would be trying to rape Link if she saw him in this mask).

            "Bring it on, you demon," Link muttered as he strode into the boss chamber- Sheik was nowhere to be found.

            The battle began.

            The first thing Link noted was that Morpha was much, much stronger than the last time he had fought her. Even in his deified form, this would be a difficult battle to win. Link hacked and slashed, froze and burned, and yet…

            Sploosh sploosh, goop gurgle…

            "Watch out, Link!" yelled Toyl, and Link leapt aside to avoid a congealed, watery tentacle trying to bash him up against the spikes lining the walls. Link gave a great yell and lunged forward, slicing through the water of the amoeba to the nucleus once more.

            "Take that!" he yelled, slashing, "and that! And that and that, you watery son of a…"

            Whatever it was that the ferocious deity was about to say was cut off by a sudden rumble. The amoeba splashed out of its pool and began to shriek, and the temple began to rumble as it collapsed.

            "Link, the room'll cave in on us!" yelled Toyl as the deity rushed forward to find the heart container.

            "I'm not leaving without Sheik!"

            "Sheik's not here, Link," yelled Toyl as rocks began to fall from the ceiling. "Can't you see that? Sheik must be in the chamber of sages."

            "SHEIK!" Yelled Link. "SHEIK, WHERE ARE YOU?"

            "You won't be able to do him any good if you're dead!" yelled Toyl in Link's pointed ear. "Now get in the Nayru forsaken portal!"

            "Shut up!" yelled Link. Toyl sighed.

            "If you don't, both your friend and your princess will be lost to you forever," she said. "Zelda's fate is linked to yours and Sheik's, you stupid hero. Should one of you die, all three of you are doomed. Now GET IN THE PORTAL," yelled the fairy. Link growled angrily but stepped in, and was whisked away in a blue crystal as the ceiling of the boss chamber fell in.

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            "Link!"

            "Ruto."

            "Since when do you look like _that_?"

            "It's a mask."

            "Oh."

            "Ruto, have you seen Sheik?"

            "Yes, I've seen the p- Sheik."

            "The P? What were you going to say?"

            "The prince of shadow. That's what we nicknamed him."

            "Where is he?"

            "Try the shadow temple. And take this medallion, while you're at it."

            "Thank you, Ruto."

            "Link, follow your heart."

            "What's that supposed to mean?"

            "I love you, Link, and I want to see you happy. So, do what you must do to make yourself feel happy."

            "Thank you, Ruto."

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            Link reappeared out on the island of Lake Hylia, which was, spectacularly, untouched. He took a moment to gaze out at the lake, full once more, a pure, surreal blue, sparkling in the light of the sun.

            "Like her eyes," Link muttered, thinking of the woman he had caught in the forest just days before. Who WAS she? No matter. Link pushed the thought out of his mind, removing the fierce deity's mask. Toyl was buzzing around his head.

            "Like whose eyes?" the little fairy asked. Link shook his head.

            "A woman I met in the forest," said Link. "I've never seen another like her. Impossibly blue eyes, curling blonde hair, pale complexion… like a princess.

            "Hmm," said the little fairy thoughtfully. "Well, come on. Let's go to the shadow temple and find Sheik."

            "Right," said Link, equipping his mask of truth and playing the inverted Nocturne of Shadow. He and Toyl were swept away in purple light to Kakariko, the village where Ganondorf's power still had strong hold. 

            "Hold on, Sheik," said Link, charging into the temple and magically unlocking the seals. "I'm coming."

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            It was dark and it smelled like rot. She couldn't see.

            Needless to say, Zelda was very alarmed.

            She'd been wandering in the pitch black, totally unable to see, for several hours now. She supposed she was in the shadow temple, but she wasn't sure.

            Goddesses, though, she hoped not. 

            The princess tugged anxiously at her face covering as she stumbled into a dimly lit room with a large boat.

            "Might as well," she mumbled, hopping on. There was the symbol of the Triforce on the floor. Zelda whipped out her harp and played, and the ghost ship rocked into movement at the sound of the three notes.

            Not to mention the poor princess was ambushed by two very dangerous looking stalfos.

            "Eck," she grimaced at the smell of putrid rot, pulling out her sword and slashing at the two skeletons. "Worthless little corpses, aren't we?" she slashed the stalfos to pieces, and they both combusted. Needless to say, Zelda was quite proud of herself. She was becoming quite the warrior, wasn't she?

            Of course, she had Link entirely to thank for her newfound skills.

            "I wonder where he is and how he's doing," the princess mused to herself, sitting down on the boat and waiting for her voyage to come to an end. It seemed she was sailing down some sort of brick tunnel, but she couldn't be sure. It was too dark to see, again. The boat rocked to a stop in another dimly lit room, and, shivering, Zelda hopped off the boat. None too slow, too, because the moment her feet touched the ground, the boat gave a great groan. She whirled and watched it sink into abyss below her.

            "I don't like this temple," Zelda shivered, rubbing her arms through the blue bodysuit she was wearing. She had removed the Zora tunic and packed it back into her bag- the sheikiah eye of truth was displayed for all to see. "I am a master of the shadows, a sheikiah warrior," she kept reminding herself. "This is where Sheik belongs."

            Blandly wondering why on earth Impa would be sage of such a miserable temple, Zelda made her way over a bridge and through a large door. It clanked shut behind her, and the sound of chains slinking over the surface made her gasp.

            She'd wandered right into the boss chamber.

            Zelda looked down- might as well try and defeat the boss and make life easier for Link, eh?

            She stepped into the great hole and landed on what seemed to be a giant drum. It began to pound.

            "Oh dear," muttered Zelda as invisible hands beat upon the taut surface.

            "Well well well," came a great, booming, unearthly voice that sounded of blood and battle and a million years of chaos. "Look what we have here. A lost princess."

            "What do you mean?" Zelda asked guardedly. A great Cyclops appeared before her out of the dark. She gasped.

            "A princess in the guise of a sheikiah. This is the temple of truth and lies, and I am its master- don't test me, girl," it boomed. Zelda gulped.

            "What a pretty gift to the dark lord this will make," laughed the boss. "My name is Bongo-Bongo, and I am the keeper of bloodthirsty shadows in the evil realm."

            Zelda gulped.

            "Well well, what shall I do with ye?" asked Bongo-Bongo, and Zelda was enveloped in a pink crystal, much like she had been when Ganondorf first imprisoned her. She floated up to eye level with the great beast. "Give you to Ganondorf, I would, yet you're so pretty I might just keep you here and look upon myself. Though, I daresay the great king wouldn't like that." Zelda panicked, looking down at her disguise. It was still in place… how could Bongo-Bongo see through it?

            "I'll make you a deal," gulped Zelda nervously. "Please, do me no harm. The hero of time is  coming to this temple- if he can defeat you, you will release me, however, if you defeat him, I will willingly go to Ganondorf, or stay, or," Zelda's mouth went dry at the gamble she was taking, "do whatever it is that you want me to do."

            A great booming laugh echoed through the room, causing the drum to resound. Zelda did her best not to cover her ears- nine thousand screams of death to resound through the room with this laugh.

            "Pretty deal it is," said the Cyclops. "Alright, princess, no harm will come to ye, provided you keep your end of the deal up."

            "I will," said Zelda stubbornly, floating in the crystal. The conversation between Zelda and Bongo-Bongo fell silent as she was lowered down to the drum (though still captive in the crystal), and she watched in amazement as minions entered and exited the chamber, discussing something or other with the boss. The princess could feel the evil radiating from the boss- so, this was how the once sacred realm was so easily poisoned.  Randomly, Zelda wondered just where IN the evil realm was the temple of sages? In the center, most likely, occupying the space where Lon Lon ranch had been, or possibly connected to or just behind the temple of time…

            Zelda pondered this to pass the long hours of waiting in the pink crystal. She wasn't sure if it had been mere minutes, or hours, or even days, when finally…

            THUNK.

            Link landed on the drum, sword drawn. 

            "Sheik!" he yelled, seeing the 'sheikiah' in the crystal before him. Link ran over to his friend, beating his hands against the crystal, pressing his body the length of it. Toyl was buzzing around in alarm. "Sheik!" Link yelled again, and Zelda began to rise up into the air. She reached down to Link, but her hand roughly bumped the crystal, and she cursed under her breath as Bongo-Bongo began to speak.

            "Defeat me and your friend is free," said the boss, "but lose and they will ever be a slave to darkness." Link looked wildly around for the source of the voice, and then reached into his bag, pulling out the lens of truth and pulling it to his face and apparently taking in Bongo-Bongo. Zelda cringed.

            "Please, Link, don't look up," she prayed as the battle began. "Please don't see through my disguise."

            Zelda watched with her body pressed against the wall of the crystal as Link took and delivered blow after blow to the giant shadow beast. Apparently, the lens of truth was taking its toll on the hero- Zelda gasped as he knelt, out of breath, and was very nearly smashed to pieces by one of Bongo-Bongo's hands. He leapt up and stabbed the beast's hand with his sword, and there was a shriek, then silence. Bongo-Bongo keeled forward onto the drum and dissolved into shadow. Zelda felt herself lowered towards the ground, and the pink crystal evaporated. Link had his back to her- he was grabbing the heart container. He turned, and Zelda gasped.

            He still had the lens of truth on.

            "Who are you?" he asked, his eyes going wide. Toyl drooped.

            "I tried," she tinkled sadly. Zelda nodded in understanding.

            "Link, before I can explain, we must go to the chamber of sages. When we return to Impa's, I will shed my disguise and explain all, I promise to you," she said, touching his hand. Link nodded, a mix of raw emotions running across his face, ranging from betrayed, to confused, to furious. Zelda's throat closed up, and she felt her ruby eyes redden with tears. She stepped into the circle of light behind Link and was swept into the chamber of sages.

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            "Well done, Link. I am eternally grateful you were able to save my child."

            "That's what friends do. You're welcome, Impa."

            "Take this medallion. You'll need it."

            "Thank you again."

            "Words are worthless in a situation like this, both of you must understand."

            "Yes, Impa."

            "Yes, Impa."

            "Go. Rest, both of you. I can see that it has been near a day since either of you slept."

            "No, Impa."

            "Your quests are nearing an end. Know that you can always consult me when you need assistance, both of you."

            "Yes, Impa."

            "Yes, Impa."

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            We reached Impa's house, the both of us walking in silence. I was walking behind him, holding back my tears. His back was stiff under the light of the moon, and I could tell that he was doing his best to keep from whirling on me and yelling then and there.

            I prayed he could control his temper.

            We entered the large, beautiful, neat house, and he immediately dropped his bag. I sighed, locked the door and checked to be sure all the windows were closed, locked, and covered as well, and I let my disguise fall from me like water, returning once more to the body of princess Zelda. The sheikiah body suit still fit, but only just barely- the blue skin hung loose around my shoulders. I removed my facial covering and looked at Link.

            "I hope that you would still consider me a friend," I said to him, my female voice sounding melodic yet unfamiliar to my Elvin ears. I reached into my bag and pulled out Link's journal, which I had taken such wonderful care of. I handed it to him, my fingers brushing against his as he took the journal.

            "You, you're…" he gasped. I nodded, a few stray tears slipping from my eyes. 

            "Yes," I choked. "I'm the masked shadow thief. I'm a sheikiah warrior. But lastly," I sobbed, and drew in a sharp breath, "I'm the princess of Hyrule, destined to living in shadow." I collapsed on the floor, sobbing. "Goddesses, Link, can't you ever forgive me?" I buried my face in my hands, tears pouring down my cheeks. I heard Toyl slowly leave the room, then the soft sound of Link's footsteps approaching me.

            "Why did you take my journal?" he asked me, sounding infinitely hurt. "Why didn't you tell me who you were sooner?" He crouched before me, and I looked up at him with my pathetically tear-streaked face, taking in his eyes so full of hurt.

            "I had to know if you knew of my disguise," I cried. "The only way I could do that was to learn some of your memories. I didn't read it, I swear, I just looked at the last entry to see if you knew who I was." I pressed the sides of my hands over the inner corners of my eyes and took a deep shuddering breath.

            "I had to hide so that Ganondorf's forces wouldn't find me.  And I couldn't tell you, because I didn't want to risk ruining my friendship with you. I didn't want you to know, Link, because you wouldn't let me help you, you wouldn't let me stand by your side, and that's all I want…" I broke off, doing my best not to wail, looking away from Link and making a feeble attempt to pull the sheikiah garb up above my shoulders. I closed my eyes and allowed the salty tears to roll freely down my cheeks.

            "Did Toyl know?" Link asked. I nodded, sniffing, unable to speak. I heard Link sigh. "Why, why…" I gulped and allowed the tears to continue to roll down my cheeks, resigned to him hating me.

            "Zelda…" said Link, and his warmth encircled me, pulling my head to his shoulder as I wept. "Please, don't cry," he shushed into my hair. Of course, this only made me cry harder. Why was he doing this? Didn't he hate me? Link rocked me back and forth, shushing me and stroking my hair as I wetted the shoulder of his tunic with my remorse and heartache. I wrapped my arms tight around him and continued to cry, wishing with all my heart that I wasn't the princess and he wasn't the hero, and that we weren't condemned to unhappy fates, but that we were normal people- like everybody else, a man and a woman together in a home, embracing each other. These thoughts made me cry harder, and Link tightened his grip around me.

            "Please, Zelda, don't cry," he whispered into my hair. "You're making me sad." I gulped and sniffled, doing my best to quiet my tears. I took in multiple deep, shuddering breaths, opening my eyes and laying my head sideways on his shoulder, toying with his tunic. His warm hands continued to rub lazy yet comforting circles across my back, and for the first time, I noticed how gentle he was, how caring he was. His hands came to rest around my waist, pulling me closer to him.

            "Why are you doing this?" I murmured. "Don't you hate me?"

            "I could never hate you," he replied softly. "I understand why you did what you did."

            "You must be feeling so hurt," I choked. Link only squeezed me tighter in response. 

            "It must have killed you inside to keep hidden for so long."

            "It doesn't matter," I whispered to him. "Just please, don't make me leave."

            "I wouldn't ever make you leave," he said to me, pulling back and searching my eyes with his. He traced the curve of my jawbone, then cupped his hand over my cheek, caressing my face softly with his thumb. "I want you to stay if you want to stay. Whatever makes you happy."

            "Thank you, Link," I said softly, putting my hand over his and smiling up at him. "You're too good."

            "No," he replied to me softly, hesitantly lowering his face to mine. "Just in love," he whispered, his lips touching mine as we spoke, then tenderly meeting in a sweet, sad kiss.

            "Love?" I asked him, once we separated. I lowered my head to rest on his chest, and he leaned his chin against the top of my head.

            "Mmhm," he said. "I want the best for you. I want you to be happy. We're the closest of friends, are we not? And I feel as though you're my other half. I care more for you than I do for myself, and if you wanted to leave me for another man because you would be happy, I'd do whatever I could to help you. I would never judge you, or throw anything back in your face, or cause you any harm. And that's what love is, isn't it?" he asked me. I nodded against his chest, listening to the soft thumping of his heart.

            "Yes," I replied softly.

            "I was so confused when you were Sheik," Link half-laughed. "I thought I was going crazy because I cared so much for another man. Now I know what it was."

            "Love," I murmured. "It was love."

            "It was," said Link. "You don't think I'm weird, do you?"

            "Never," I smiled in reply. "I would never think that."

            "Mm," said Link, then stood up, picking me up as well. "I don't know about you, but I'm fatigued," he said. "Almost twenty-four hours nonstop of monster battling will really get to a man."

            "I'm sure," I smiled, poking my hero in the ribs. Link set me down on Impa's massive bed and kicked off his boots and pulling off his tunic in preparation for rest. I looked down at my loose sheikiah outfit.

            "Um, Link," I said in embarrassment as he turned and faced me, his well muscled stomach gleaming in the moonlight and making my mouth water. I gestured to her loose sheikiah clothing and looked away, blushing. Link smiled.

            "Here," he said, pulling a Kokiri tunic out from his bag (which he had removed just after entering the bedroom). He tossed it to me with a smile. "Don't worry, it's clean."

            "Thanks," I said, and my hero turned around, allowing his princess some privacy as I removed the skintight sheikiah garb and pulled the tunic that smelled so much like Link over my head and down my naked body. I folded up my outfit and set it neatly on Impa's dresser as Link crawled into bed. I smiled and crawled below the sheets as well, snuggling up to his warmth.

            "I love you, Link," I whispered to him as the lights magically went out, leaving us in peaceful darkness. He wrapped his warm arms around my waist and I leaned her head back against his chest.

            "I love you too, princess."

            We fell asleep almost immediately, and whilst we dreamt of one another, a little red fairy floated into our room to check on us, smiled to herself at the love we had found for each other, and hovered away, allowing us privacy and as much rest as we needed.

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:. ~.:*:.

_Light of my son  
Light in this temple  
  
Light in my truth  
Lies in the darkness  
  
Teasing pureness  
Of your lies  
Soreness of a  
Delightful mission  
Burning up  
Inside your mind  
You belong  
To my possessions  
  
Can't you see that  
I'm here inside you?  
  
Light-massive pain  
Glide-passive tension  
  
Light-show me how to  
Slide in this pleasure  
  
Teasing pureness  
Of your eyes  
Crawling into empty spaces  
You could lie and lie again  
You belong to my posession  
  
Can't you see that  
I'm here inside you?  
  
This is my harmony  
I'm in your heart again  
This is the place to live  
Where I'm alone again  
  
This is my harmony-I'm here  
I lay again-This is the prayer to give  
I'm all alone again_

_~The Prophet Said, by Lacuna Coil_


	7. Chapter Six: Last Dance

**Chapter Six: Last Dance**

            The next morning found Zelda and Link were packing their things, preparing for their next adventure after their very brief rest.

            "The spirit temple," said Zelda. "I always wondered what was inside…"

            "The coolest temple, in my opinion," said Link. "Though also a very dangerous temple as well."

            "All of the temples are dangerous," Zelda pointed out, polishing her mirror shield with a towel she had stolen from Impa's bathroom. "That's a given."

            "Cursed pots flying at you, magical elevators, mirrors, statues that come to life to knock your brains out," grunted Link as he shoved random masks into his bag. He was about to put in the Deku mask when Zelda stopped him.

            "Wait, Link," she said. "You told me I could try on a mask."

            "After we defeat the spirit temple," he said, pushing it in. "Masks hurt."

            "I can imagine," said Zelda, recalling the shrieks of pain that Link always let out when putting on a mask. She scrubbed roughly at a particularly stubborn smudge on the polished surface of the mirror shield, willing it to come off.

            "Morning all," said Toyl sleepily, bobbing tiredly into the room.

            "Glad to see you're awake," commented Zelda, adjusting her disguise as Sheik. The little fairy nearly fell out of the air for a moment as she heaved a great yawn, then bobbed back up.

            "I'm tired," she said. "That's the first time I've done something that strenuous."

            "You'll get used to it," said Link, stashing a few vials of potion in his bag. "Now come on- we need to defeat the spirit temple so that we can get out of this realm."

            "It's almost pure," commented Zelda, giving up on the smudge when she realized it was part of the screaming face on the mirror. "We've almost purged the evil from it."

            "With the exception of Ganondorf," muttered Link. Zelda shrugged her shoulders and grabbed her 'pink sword of doom', as Toyl had termed it.

            "Yes," said the princess, drawing the sword and inspecting it, "but we can't fight him here. It's too easy for him to manipulate this realm. Even if we defeat the temples, if we try and fight him here…." Zelda rammed the sword back into the sheath for emphasis, her words stopping. "Well, I'm sure you can guess."

            "Yeah," said Link, and looked out the window at the sky, which was pure blue. "I wonder what's going on back home?"

            "I don't know," said the princess, slinging the sword across her back with the mirror shield. "Are we ready to go, Link?"

            "Yeah," he said, poking Toyl awake from where she'd fallen asleep on the hero of time's shoulder. 

            "Eh?" asked the little fairy sleepily. She flew up towards Link's head and crawled under his green hat, murmuring a faint "wake me when we get there."

            "Well," said Link with a grin, slinging his pack on his shoulder, "let's go then."

            "Right," said Zelda. They both pulled out their instruments and played the inverted Requiem of Spirit, their songs blending together in sweet harmony, like their souls.

            The two soul mates were swept away to the Gerudo valley in a blaze of red light, and when they landed….

            "By Faore, it's hot."

            "What do you expect in a desert?" Link asked, shielding his eyes from the sun with his forearm and looking around. Zelda copied the movement with her bound upper arm, and squinted in the direction of the temple.

            "We'll have to dash it," said Toyl suddenly, popping out from under Link's hat. "Or else, enemies will pop out of the sand and we're done for."

            "Ish," shuddered Zelda. Link grimaced.

            "Ze- er, I mean, Sheik, how fast can you run?"

            "Fast enough," said Zelda, tightening the bandages around her upper shins. "Ready?"

            "Ready," said Link, adjusting his pack. "…and RUN!"

            Almost the second that their feet touched the sand, gruesome enemies began to spring from below the earth- spinning, thorny green monsters dripping with blood and sand. Link took Zelda's hand, pulling her onwards, and safely up the stairs to the temple.

            "Vile little buggers," Zelda muttered, stabbing one trying to make its way up onto the stairs they were standing at the top of with her sword. Link nodded as it combusted into flames.

            "If you keep killing them long enough, a giant one pops out of the ground."

            "Yeesh," shuddered Zelda. She sheathed her sword over her back and straightened up her tunic.

            "Shall we go in, then?" she asked. Link nodded, and Toyl bubbled around his head in excitement.

            "I can't wait!" squeaked the little fairy, causing the companions to smile.

            "I'm sure," deadpanned Link with a light smirk as they entered the temple. They took two steps forward, and Link's eyes widened in memory.

            "Duck!" he yelled, running forward and tackling Zelda to the ground, rolling along the floor with her.

            "Wha?" asked the princess in disguise, infinitely confused. She heard the whoosh of something flying over her head, then the distinctive crash of the destruction of clay pots. She tried to get up, but Link's arms held her tight to the floor.

            "No," he said. "There's two. Give it another minute."

            Whoosh, crash.

            The hero and the princess shakily stood up, brushing themselves off.

            "One thing I must say about this temple," bubbled Toyl optimistically, lightly descending from her hiding place somewhere near the ceiling. Zelda and Link both looked at her, rattled, raising their eyebrows. "It certainly does keep you on your toes."

            "Ch, yeah," said Zelda. Link nodded, his hand straying to the hilt of his sword, and he made his way to what looked to be a spiraling staircase on the right side of the room.

            "Well…" he said, checking behind him for Zelda, "up we go. You ready?"

            "You bet," affirmed Zelda, blowing some short blonde hair out of her red eyes. She adjusted her collar, grinning below it. "Let's kick this temple's behind."

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            "Left a little," said Toyl, and Link and Zelda grunted as they moved the mirror, one on either side, pushing and pulling with all their might.

            "No, right," said the little fairy thoughtfully. "Now back.. no, that's too far, just an inch forward…. You need to move it more to the left again… perfect!" exclaimed the little fairy as the mirror caught the sunbeam descending from the ceiling. "Next mirror!"

            "How many times do we have to do this?" Zelda asked Link. He grimaced.

            "Lots."

            "Rats."

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            Spuh-sploosh. Spuh-sploosh.

            "Um…" asked Zelda, whirling around, "is it just me or do you guys hear that?"

            "Hear what?" Link asked, turning around to face the princess. She was looking left and right, the single red eye that was visible squinting to find the source of the strange sound.

            "Hear…" but Zelda didn't finish her statement as she vanished into thin air.

            "Zelda!" Link yelled, pulling out his lens of truth and looking at the air where Zelda had vanished- into a disgusting, bile-colored like-like.

            "Ugh, get me out of here!" Zelda yelled. Link seized his sword and began to carefully chop at the Like-like, doing his best to keep from damaging the precious cargo it held within. It finally screamed and melted, leaving Zelda standing covered head-to-toe in digestive enzymes.

            "Ugh, yuck," said the princess with a shudder. "This was NOT in the job description."

            "Oh well," sighed Link. "I suggest you clean those juices off you before they start to dissolve your skin," he offered. Zelda shuddered and sat on the ground, rubbing the juices off as best she could.

            "Hey, you!" Link addressed Toyl, who was off inspecting one wall. "Aren't you supposed to be alerting us of this sort of stuff?" he asked.

            "No," caroled the little fairy. "You can deal with that stuff fine on your own. I'm actually working here, you know."

            "Oh really," said Link sarcastically, ignoring Zelda's mutterings of "disgusting" and "absolutely nasty". "What, pray tell, are you doing?"

            "I'm looking for a switch," said the little fairy, inspecting the individual bricks. "I hope you're adept with a bombchu, Link, because if it's this hard for me to find, it's going to be a hundred times harder for you to hit.

            "Lovely," deadpanned Link.

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            "I personally think she's rather lovely," said Zelda, easily ducking a flying pot aimed for her head as she studied the great statue before her. "Severe looking, but lovely all the same."

            "I personally think you're crazy," remarked the little red fairy sitting upon the princess' blue-clad shoulder. "She looks angry."

            "But she's lovely in her anger," retaliated Zelda. 

            "Say what you want," tinkled the little fairy. "I don't agree."

            "Everybody's entitled to their own opinion," said Zelda. "Doesn't mean it's right, but you're entitled to it all the same."

            "Hey!" squeaked the little fairy, making a dive at Zelda's head. The princess laughed lightly, but was interrupted.

            "You two," muttered the hero of time. "Are you going to help me, or must I do this on my own?" he asked from below them where he was shifting around blocks.

            "You're fine on your own," called down Zelda, earning a tinkle of chime-like laughter from little Toyl. "In fact, we're quite enjoying ourselves watching you."

            "Women," muttered Link.

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            "What's with this statue thing?" Toyl asked.

            "No, Toyl, don't touch it!" yelled Link and Zelda in unison. The little fairy recoiled an inch away from the metal.

            "Why not?" she asked. "Not like it'll come to life or anything if I do…"

            Creak, clank clank…

            "Blast," muttered Zelda, drawing her sword. Link sighed grimly.

            "Toyl…" he threatened, ducking away from a deadly swipe as Zelda stabbed the Iron Knuckle from behind.

            "Meep," said the little fairy.

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            "Another mirror room?" groaned Link, pushing his sweaty bangs out of his face. "We should be near the end of the temple, though," he said.

            "Goddesses, I hope so," grunted Zelda, making her way over to a mirror. "Shall we?"

            "Of course," said Link, joining her. His hand lightly brushed hers behind the mirror, and Zelda smiled softly below her collar.

            "Hey, Toyl?" Link called. "Could you help us?"

            "Of course!" chirped the little fairy. "Okay, move to your left….."

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            "Holy goddesses," muttered Zelda as a diamond in the center of the lovely statue crumbled away when hit with the light of the sun, revealing a grate. She and Link stood together on an elevator, Toyl floating around their heads as they directed the mirror forward. "That's not something I would have expected."

            "Took me quite a bit of trouble to find it the first time around," said Link, hopping nimbly from the elevator to the passage. Zelda jumped across as well, Toyl floating tranquilly along behind them. They made their way to a boss door, and Link stopped.

            "Alright," he said. "Rest time. These two are particularly obnoxious bosses," stated Link simply. "Though I've met them outside the arena and, I must say, they're quite cool when they're not trying to blast my head off."

            "Uh huh," said Zelda, sliding down to the ground across from Link. She pulled down the collar of her sheikiah garb and smiled at her hero.

            "It must be confusing for you," said Zelda to Link. "Me in the body of a man."

            "Ah, it's not too bad," said Link. "I know you're still the same Zelly inside." In response to this, Zelda scowled.

            "Zelly?" she asked. Link's face split into a wide grin.

            "Come on, you know you like it," he teased. "Zelly, zelly…"

            "Hey, hey now, Linkiekins," retorted Zelda, a sly smile spreading across her face. Link placed his hand over his heart and faked sighed, faking pain.

            "You're so cruel," he said.

            "You know you like it," cackled Zelda.

            "Enough, you two," laughed Toyl. "We both know that Link is mine."

            "Oh yes," deadpanned Link. "How on earth could I ever resist you?"

            "It's my feminine charm," laughed the little fairy. Zelda snickered as well, reaching into her bag for a vial of red potion. She took a swig herself, and then tossed it to Link.

            "Drink up," she said to her hero, suddenly grave. "Let's get this over with. The sooner we get back to Hyrule, the better."

            "I agree," nodded Link, upending the bottle into his mouth like a liquor shot. He tossed it back to Zelda, and, eyes sparkling, stood.

            "You ready, Zelda?" he asked. Zelda nodded.

            "You ready, Link?" she asked him. He nodded in return.

            "You take ice, okay? I'll take fire."

            "What?" asked Zelda in confusion as he unlocked the chains to the boss door with the large, sparkling key. Zelda vowed that once the whole mess was over, she would drag Link back to the castle, and the key to his chambers would be made in the shape of a boss key. It just might satisfy his quirky sense of humor.

            Then again, maybe not.

            "Zelda? Are you listening?" Link asked, jarring her out of her thoughts.

            "Wh- yes," said Zelda. Link raised his eyebrows.

            "Right. Like I said. You take the icy sister. I'll take the fire one. When they combine, we can work together."

            "Sounds good," said Zelda, and they entered the chamber, to find…

            …Two little old ladies.

            "Huh?" asked Zelda. The two little ladies rose into the air on brooms, cackling, and strange music filled the air.

            "They're a little odd," whispered Link to her. She nodded.

            "Obviously."

            The battle began.

            "Holy Nayru," muttered Zelda to herself, ducking behind her shield as the little old, blue-haired lady fired a nasty ice spell at her. She deflected it to the fire sister (Koume or Kotake, she couldn't keep their names straight to save her life) and knew it had hit its mark. "They're crazy," she muttered. Link dashed by, the fire sister in hot (no pun intended) pursuit. He dropped a quick kiss on Zelda's cheek in passing, and the princess smiled lightly as she heard little Toyl squeaking at him about a burnt wing or somesuch. 

            "Ha!" yelled Zelda, shooting a fire arrow at her own particular witch. She squawked and fired an icy blast at Zelda in retaliation- Zelda directed it to the witch, who was apparently giving Link quite a bit of trouble. Tendrils of cold air spiraled into Zelda's face, and the shield grew cold to the touch from the numerous ice blasts, but she supposed maybe she didn't have it quite so bad.

            After all, at least her shield wasn't burning hot.

            "Sister, we must combine!" squawked one sister to the other.

            "Eck," grimaced Zelda. The two sisters whirled around each other, and in a flash of light, combined to make one very trashy, VERY ugly, half-and half woman floating in the air.

            "And to think," muttered Link, making his way over to Zelda, "that THEY are the mothers of the Gerudo tribe."

            "Ew," commented the princess.

            The battle resumed, except with Link and Zelda working together to slay the wearisome witches. In what felt like forever and yet no time at all, the sisters had split apart and were rising to the heaven, halos adorning their heads, bickering about age or something stupid like that. 

            "Zelda!" Link rushed across the platform towards her and gave her a hug. She wrapped her arms around him, then grinned as Toyl bopped the hero on the head.

            "Hey!" said the little fairy. "It's your fault my wing is burnt! Get me some red potion, you horrible shameless heathen," she squawked. Zelda smiled lightly below her collar, and then glanced over Link's shoulder.

            "Look," she said. "Heart containers. Two of them."

            "One apiece," said Link merrily, trotting over. Zelda followed suit, grabbing one and allowing the magic to infuse into her body.

            "My potion!" protested Toyl. Zelda smiled lightly and reached into her pouch.

            "Here," Zelda said, pulling out a small red vial and dabbing some potion onto her finger. "Come here." The fairy obliged and flew over, and Zelda lightly dabbed some potion onto Toyl's burnt wing. Instantly, it furled, unfurled, then sparkled, as good as new. 

            "Come on," I said, touching Link's hand lightly and indicating to the blue portal. "Chamber of sages."

            "Chamber of sages," Link nodded, and together, we walked forward into the light and were pulled upwards in beautiful blue crystal.

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            "Well well well, if we don't have the hero and his little princess here."

            "Hello, Nabooro."

            "Good to see you, Nabby."

            "Zelda, I told you not to call me Nabby."

            "Oh, right, esteemed Gerudo queen and sage of spirit."

            "Much better. Now, Link and Zelda, I need you two to take the spirit medallion. Got it?"

            "Er… right, Nabby."

            "It's Nabooro, hero. You should know better."

            "I should."

            "Eh. Anyway, with this and the other medallions, you will be able to defeat Ganondorf in the final battle, which you must wage in Hyrule. Do you understand me?"

            "Of course, Nabooro."

            "Yes, Nabooro."

            "Good, both of you."

            "Thank you, Nabooro."

            "Best of luck to you both. Hopefully, this time that little prick will be put in his place once and for all."

            "I hope so."

            "Good luck, Link. And good luck to you too, Zelda. You know what you have to do."

            "Yes, Nabooro."

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            Zelda, Toyl, and Link found themselves landing in the center of Hyrule field.

            "What the…" asked Link, and whirled around at the same time as Zelda did. Where Lon Lon ranch normally would have been was a huge temple, all consuming, whose spires rose so high into the sky that it was impossible to see the top.

            "Wow…" murmured Zelda, feeling very small before the giant, pristine white temple. "It's huge. Even the entrance is three times as high as us, at least."

            "That's crazy," mumbled Link.

            "It's our rightful place," Zelda added. "How strange…"

            "Well, come on," said Toyl, interrupting the moment. "We need to get back to Hyrule."

            "Yeah," said Zelda, looking around the beautifully pure sacred realm. She brushed the short hair of her Sheik disguise out of her eyes, and looked at her hero with a smile.

            "Ready to go?"

            "Yeah," said Link reluctantly. "This place is beautiful. I  hope we'll be able to come back someday.

            "Of course," said Zelda, looking around with a blissful smile. "This is where everybody comes at the end."

            "I… oh," said Link. "You mean we're dead?"

            "No," said Zelda. "Because our bodies are physically present. If it was just our spirits, it would be a different story. But since we're actually physically here, like the sages, we aren't dead."

            "Oh," said Link.

            "You guyssss…." Whined Toyl, bopping the lovers on their heads. "Come on, let's go already!"

            "Alright," said Zelda, reluctantly pulling out her harp. Link pulled out his ocarina.

            "Let's go destroy Ganon," Link said. "Once and for all."

            Together, they played the inverted Prelude of Light, making their way to the Temple of Time and drawing the Master Sword one last time.

.:*:.~.:*:.+.:*:.~.:*:.

            "Goddesses," breathed Zelda, looking out at Hyrule from where she and Link stood in the center of Hyrule Field, clutching Link's hand. "What… what happened?"

            "Ganondorf," murmured Link as she squeezed his finger. There were dark storm clouds overhead, lightning, flames, and icy cold rain.

            "We have to stop it," said Zelda with determination. She turned her eyes up to Link's, imploring his bright blue with her own masked red.

            "Let me fight with you," she said. Link looked reluctant. "Please," she implored him. "I love this land as much as you do and have every bit as much of a right to fight for it as you do."  

            "I… I understand," said Link, softly kissing Zelda's temple. "Come on. Where do you think he is?"

            "Right here," came an evil, menacing voice from behind Link and Zelda. They whirled, drawing their swords and shields in unison, and Toyl twinkled uncertainly, ducking behind Link's own shield.

            "It's too bad to see that you're too cowardly to confront me on my own turf," declared the re-embodied king of evil. "So, I reincarnated and decided to fight you on yours. Scared?"

            "Never," spat Link. Zelda nodded. Ganondorf sighed.

            "As you'll have it," he said, floating into the air.

            The battle begun.

            Link and Zelda rushed at him in unison, swords drawn, screaming battle cries. Ganondorf deflected both attacks and sent the companions flying backwards, then summoned a great ball of energy to hurl at them. Zelda dove aside as one came flying at her. Link, however, stood his ground, and smacked the energy ball with his sword, sending it flying it back at the king of evil.

            "Zelda, you have to deflect his attacks," yelled Link to her. She stood, and resumed a fighting stance. Toyl was buzzing around Ganondorf's head, helping the hero and heroine to get a better visualization of their target. Again, simultaneous attacks were thrown. Both Link and Zelda deflected, and began a dangerous game of 'ball'. Back and forth, back and forth flew various energy balls, some striking Ganondorf, some striking the ground as Link or Zelda dove away.

            Zelda was swinging her sword to deflect the blast when it suddenly caught in her arms and threw her backwards, electricity sizzling through her every cell.

            "Zelda!" Link yelled. Zelda hauled herself to her feet, dragging in deep breaths, when she suddenly felt a paralysis spell upon her.

"I end this now, wench," said Ganondorf, summoning a razor sharp pole and throwing it forward. Before the lovers had time to blink, Zelda had been pinned to the ground by the large silver pole going through her stomach. Blood seeped around her, and she looked shocked. She touched her middle tenderly, her face paling. She released her head with a groan, slumping back upon the ground.

"Zelda!" Link yelled, beginning to run towards her. 

"Stop," commanded Ganondorf, his voice booming like thunder as he morphed into his deadly form of Ganon. "You must fight me first."

            "So be it," uttered Link, his blue eyes blazing with angry fire. He reached into his bag and drew out the fierce deity's mask, transforming into the deadly warrior with a furious battle cry that was heard in every corner of the kingdom.

            _"What was that?" asked one of the Kokiri, looking spooked._

_            …_

_"The end is coming," said a Gerudo, sniffing the air, pungent with the smell of rain._

_            …_

_"Brother…" muttered Darunia, looking at the rock ceiling of Goron city._

_            …_

_"Let him be okay," prayed Ruto, sitting in Zora city, fidgeting nervously._

            "Huh?" Asked Ganon, his eyes widening in shock as a ferocious warrior appeared before him.

            "Ganon," thundered the fierce deity, Link, "I will cut you until you've given every drop of blood you've taken back to this world." So saying, he leapt at Ganon, cutting ferociously, slicing and dicing.

            "No," yelled Ganondorf, retaliating with his lightning claws and fire breath. "I will not lose to you, a mere Hylian boy.

            "I am no mere Hylian boy," shrieked Link as he attacked fiercely- Toyl had flown away in fright and was tending to Zelda, easing her pain. Link didn't know this, Link didn't know this. All he knew was the fierce anger pumping through his blood.

            "Oh?" sneered Ganondorf, though he was hardly able to mask the fear behind his eyes. "Then what are you?"

            "I am an Elvin man of many worlds," he thundered. "A god, some would say. I wield the Triforce of courage, and the sword of creation and destruction, the Master Sword. I saved a land from the demon lying within a long-forgotten mask, and brought peace to many fighting world. Moreover," Link hissed, cutting left and right furiously, inflicting wound after wound upon Ganon, the great towering black beast whose eyes were now filled with fear, "I am the love of the Princess of Hyrule, and the man destined by the goddesses to bring peace to this land once and for all!"

            "Is... is that so?" asked Ganon nervously. "Doesn't sound so good to me."

            "YAH!" Yelled Link, coming in for a fatal thrust, embedding his sword in the torso of the King of Evil.

            "Shut it, you bastard," said Link. "I'm the Hero of Time."  He twisted the blade, and Ganon screamed in pain. He removed the sword and neatly severed Ganondorf's left hand, his right hand, and then his head, which rolled uselessly to the ground in the expression of horror.

            Light surrounded him as he picked up the left hand, the image of the Triforce still shining. The six sages surrounded him, their individual medallions rising from Link's body into the air above them.

            "Link, we will combine our power to make a final seal for the Triforce," said Raru as the Triforce of power floated up from Ganon's disembodied hand. "You and Zelda will be forfeit of your Triforces as well."

            "Whatever it takes," boomed deity Link. He felt a searing pain on the back of his hand, and the Triforce of courage floated up to join the Triforce of power- shortly joined by the Triforce of wisdom.

            "Thank you, Link," said the sages. "Without you, we would have never been able

            _To defeat the child of the dark moon without you_, resonated the Goddesses' voices within his ears. _The master sword will be sealed away. The keys to the sacred realm will be taken by one goddess apiece. The world should never have this problem again, gifted child. Now, you must remember._

And Link remembered everything in the course of his life that had been lost- his meeting with Zelda, his battle with Ganondorf, the escape from the palace with the aid of the princes… "Wait!" Yelled Link. "What about Zelda?"

_            You must bring her to the sacred realm. Only then may she have a chance at life._

There was a white flash, and Link was alone. He removed his mask and threw it carelessly into his bag.

"Zelda," cried Link, tears coursing down his cheeks as he dropped his sword next to the hacked-up corpse of the dark king and ran over to the fading monarch. Zelda looked up at him, her face white as death. Toyl was nestled into her shoulder, twinkling softly, providing whatever support she could for the dying princess. Link winced at the gruesome metal pole sticking out from her body- it was covered in blood, and blood had soaked the grass around the princess.

"You did good, Link," she said softly, her hand coming weakly up to touch his face. "I'm sorry I couldn't help…"

"Zelda, Zelda, goddesses," Link said, inspecting the pole. "Hang on. I'm going to take you to the sacred realm." Carefully, Link removed the pole from Zelda's middle, amazed that she had even been able to hold on as long as she had. The princess winced, but did not cry out.

"I can't go any farther, Link," she said, her voice nearly inaudible. "You have to continue yourself."

            "No, just hang on," wept Link. "Hang on a little longer." He drew her into his arms and began to sprint as smoothly and as quickly as he could across Hyrule field towards the temple of time. Little did he know that when he entered the temple, he would find his true love with her head slumped on her blood-covered chest, her long lashes resting gracefully upon her cheek, her hands dangling motionless, bloodless and limp.

_Skin so cold  
I knew you'd go away  
and now I put you down to lay  
nothing to feel for you  
this was our last dance  
  
Closer and closer, it's time to surrender  
to the desire that you cannot mention  
don't try to breathe  
don't try to run away  
  
But I'm reaching for the sky (going to fly)  
won't you please stay  
  
With a smile I watch you go  
you'll never know I didn't cry  
with a smile I saw you die  
you'll never know I didn't cry  
  
No more fear  
they said you were so weak  
and now I put you down to lay  
nothing to feel for you  
this was our last dance___

_~Cold, by Lacuna Coil_


	8. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Link stood in Kakariko graveyard as the rain pelted his clothes, inspecting the gravestone before the tomb with the names of all the royal monarchs. He looked to the two most recent two names, remembering, his mind floating back to happier days.

_"Father doesn't believe my dreams," pouted the little golden haired princess, "but you do!"_

_"I don't remember my mother- it was Impa who was always there for me. My mother died when I was young. Father grieved her loss so, Impa says he hasn't been the same since."_

_"Do you think we'd make good monarchs, Link? My mother and father were both wonderful…"_

And yes, now the husband and wife would rest side by side after being separated by sixteen long years. Link touched the two most recent names upon the gravestone, his fingers brushing away the grime.

_QUEEN ZELDA I_

_KING HARKINIAN III_

"Link?" the young queen, the new queen- his queen and wife, Zelda, appeared at his elbow, her pale hand resting lightly upon his arm. Her eyes were red-rimmed behind the black veil of mourning she wore. Link embraced her.

"He was a good man," said the hero, his voice thick with sadness. Zelda nodded, holding to him, looking at the gravestone.

"He was a good man," she said. "He was a good father to me, even after Mother was gone. I thank the goddesses to this day that the sages were able to give me back the chance to see him one last time before he passed."

"He was very proud of you," said Link, hugging her as she began to cry. She nodded against his shoulder.

"Mm-hmm," she said. They turned from the crypt and made their way from the rainy courtyard to the royal carriage, Link climbing in before his queen. 

"With every death, there comes life," she told him once they began to rock on their way. Link scrutinized her face- though her eyes were red, there was a small smile on her lips.

"What do you mean?" Link asked. Zelda smiled lightly at him, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. She took his hand and placed it over her abdomen.

"This is what I mean," she whispered. Link's jaw dropped, and then his face broke into a beautiful, glittering smile. A baby! He and Zelda were going to have a baby.

Yes, his wife was right, as always. Even without the Triforce of wisdom, she was still by far the wisest person he ever knew. And, in a way, Zelda had been right when she had told him that even without the Triforce, they still retained the same abilities they'd had before- the Triforce was merely a symbol of who they really were. So Link believed her and knew that she was right when she said that, with every death, there came life. With every loss, there was a gain. And for every dark and dreary time, there would always come a brighter one.

.:*:.~_T_H**E**+**E**N_D_~.:*:.

**_You have been drifting for so long  
I know you don't want to come down  
Somewhere below you, there's people who love you  
And they're ready for you to come home  
Please come home_**

**_~Sarah McLachlan~_**


	9. Review Replies! YAY!

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!** All of your reviews helped me out so much and inspired me. At the moment, I'm working on an individual sort of writing story thing, as well as some AU Zelda fanfics. Yay. However, I'm having trouble really slipping into the stories like I did this one.

Ahem. Anyway.

I will continue to update this page as I get reviews, so if you've read the story but haven't reviewed, please do! Any words of encouragement are of great help to me and my poor little maniac-depressive muse.

**Berlin****'s Brown Eyes**- I'm sure you discovered the little "secret" about Mei/Sheik/Zelda. Your reviews helped me out so incredibly much. I'm sorry that FF.net was being stupid and depriving you of your reviews, but THANK YOU for reviewing anyway! I'm glad you think my work is awesome. And yes, writing Link's turning into a Goron and Sheik's freaking out was possibly one of my favorite scenes. But I suppose that we would both react much the same way if a really hot guy suddenly turned into a gigantic boulder thing. I'm also glad that you enjoyed the fluffiness. The ending was especially fun to write, in a sadistic sort of way. I'm glad that you liked it, though.

**Ayachan21**- thank you for being such a constant and dependable source of encouragement throughout the entire story. I'm very glad that you enjoyed the story, too. Your reviews really meant a lot to me. Thank you for the support and enthusiasm! The story wouldn't have been the same without your encouraging me.

**Zeldaqueen**- I can't tell you how honored I am that you think that my work is good. And you're very welcome for limiting the cursing in the story.. I tend to try not to curse myself. .

**Midnight****Starfire**- I'm glad the idea really stood out. So you know, it sort of happened when I was playing Paper Mario when it came to me. I idly wondered what was behind the Shy Guy's mask and was like "OMG, ZELDA!" and had to get to work.

**Cesia**** Illuser**- Thank you! It's always nice to know that people want to read more.

**Nagem**- Thank you SO MUCH for your enthusiastic review! It really brought a smile to my face. I can't tell you how much I appreciated the encouragement you gave. Thanks!

**Funkysquirrel**- Wow. I love your name. Thank you for the encouragement! It really helped me in my conquest to write more plotless gloop.

**Shadow Fox 05**- Thanks! I'm glad that you think that it's interesting.

**Laura Celeste**- It's nice to know that you enjoyed my work. I'm really happy to hear that you found the story intriguing. I was sort of aiming for mystique or whatever.

**Death Sighter**- WOW! I'm so glad that you love my story! I myself have a sort of love-hate thing going on with it, but I'm really happy to hear that you enjoyed the fic!

**Par Armsford**- I'm really glad that I was able to cater to your desires. I myself find that there aren't enough continuations of whatever it is that happens after the game, so I might have to write a few more if you know what I'm saying .. Anyway, I'm glad that you liked my story! (Oh, and on a side note, the lyrics are just because I think that they sort of relate to the story. And yeah.) Thank you for all the support that you lent me throughout the story!

**LanieG304**- I'm so glad that you enjoyed my story! I'm a huge fan of your work myself, so your review really meant a lot to me. It really makes me happy to hear that you think I'm a great writer. Thank you SO MUCH for reviewing! And yes, Zelda did have a little meltdown. But hey, it happens to the best of us, right? …..right???

**Nightwanderer**- Heh. I hope the ending wasn't a little too heartbreaking, and I'm really sorry you didn't like it. Ehe… I kind of couldn't resist giving it a twist, but it wasn't because you said that. I just wanted to… I don't know. Bring a little more realism to the story. Thank you very much for your reviews!

**Cmdr. Defiance Nighthawk**- Thank you! It's always really great to hear that my work is appreciated.

**Babydoll72489**- Thank you so much for your review! I'm really glad to hear that you love my work. feels honored

**Dilandaus**** Best Slayer**- Love ya, babe. Thanks for the review. And yes, bombs, chicken mask, and camera. Hilarity ensues.

Remember, I LOVE YOU ALL! I would be nowhere without you guys! Its your reviews and support that keep me going, so keep it up! I promise I'll have a new story for y'all soon. If you want to contact me or talk with me or yell at me for not publishing something else yet, feel free to IM me or email me or whatever. I love hearing from you!

**Much love,**

**_Azzy_****_._****__**


End file.
